Calamity's Child
by Divanora
Summary: Sephiroth may have failed, but Hojo always had a backup plan. Slash and mpreg
1. Chapter 1

A/N - so, my first FF fic that I'm posting. Please note that this contains het and slash pairings, and mpreg. If you don't like this, please hit the back button. It's easier on everyone. Other than that, hope you enjoy the story! (I am also more than open to couple requests - there are two set in stone, but everyone else I can pair up on request if you'd like)  
Please note that this is Crisis Core and FFVII compliant ONLY. Deepground is mentioned vaguely, and Advent Children does not happen at all. I call artistic license. ;) Think of this as an alternative AC

* * *

Tifa woke up with a start, staring around the bedroom the nice doctor had lent her while watching over Cloud. The house was quiet; she could only hear herself breathing. Tifa could have sworn she heard screaming – but that was impossible. The blond was catatonic, and there was no one else in the clinic. However, just to be on the safe side, she crept into the adjoining bedroom. Her friend lay on his back on the small bed, blank blue eyes staring at the ceiling. She frowned; normally he slept on his side, curled in on himself, reminding her of the child he had been before he left for Midgar.

He had never gained a lot of height, or bulk, which was rather strange for a SOLDIER. Something had happened; in the seven years since she'd seen him last, someone or something had done a lot of harm to him. She wanted to ask what had happened, but it was obvious that whatever happened was affecting his memory as well. The answers he had given were disjointed, and never really made much sense.

The last memory she had of him before he left for Midgar was of a stubborn and somewhat sullen boy, but his promise to join SOLDIER and protect her had stuck in her mind. When the Shinra General and the black haired First had come to Nibelheim, she had been too nervous to ask about Cloud – now she wished she had, to at least know that part of his history. Because she knew at least that part of his story was false – he hadn't been the Soldier that came to Nibelheim all those years ago, and she wanted to know why he thought that. So many mysteries, and she had no idea how to find out the truth behind any of them. He clearly had no idea he even was lying - Cloud wouldn't be dumb enough to try and knowingly lie when she knew the truth and could have easily called him on it. So she bit her tongue and waited; for what she wasn't sure.

She sighed, and pulled up the blankets that had fallen off at some point. Her own bed was calling for her. Once this was over; once Cloud was whole again, and Sephiroth was dead, and Meteor gone, she would tell him how she felt.

* * *

Cloud stabbed at the eggs Tifa had made; she was a good cook, but he had far too much on his mind. The brunette's similarly untouched breakfast showed that it wasn't just him.

It had seemed perfect. The girl he had wanted for years had declared her love for him. He had asked them all for their reasons for fighting, and he was hers. Even knowing his less than amazing history – the fact that he had never been SOLDIER; that he was nothing more than a failure – failed SOLDIER, failed science experiment – she still wanted him. That first night had been awkward, but first nights tended to be, so he was more than willing to overlook that. It wasn't _bad_ but a part of him had expected something...more.

Then they went on to defeat Sephiroth. There had been a lot of satisfaction there; the world was saved, even if Midgar was in ruins; and the madman dead and gone. A part of him – the part that had Zack's fractured memories – was saddened at the depths that the once great man had fallen to, but it hadn't stopped him from doing what needed to be done.

The world had celebrated, and the newly proclaimed 'heroes' had celebrated as well. Even if no one except AVALANCHE, Rufus and the Turks knew where Meteor had come from, they were still happy to see it stopped. Then came the sobering realization that hundreds of thousands of people were without homes. Reeve had been the one to step forward and organize things; starting what he called the World Regenesis Organization. It hadn't surprised anyone that the man in charge of urban development for Shinra would step in. He was the best for the job, and with his leadership, the survivors of Meteor were forming a new city they had taken to calling Edge. 'Anonymous' donations had come in to fund the new organization, and while Cloud had expressed his worry about accepting money from a Shinra, Reeve had been much more practical, and accepted the donation without batting an eye.

Barrett had commandeered Cid and the Highwind in order to search out the new power source the WRO scientists were working on; with Shinra gone there were no more Mako reactors, and the sometime leader of AVALANCE was determined to find a better, more ecologically friendly alternative.

Yuffie had gone back to Wutai, grudgingly, to work with her father as a liaison between Wutai and the WRO. It involved a lot of travel as well, which suited her just fine, because it allowed plenty of opportunities to become sidetracked and search for Materia.

Nanaki had returned to Cosmo Canyon to learn more about his tribe, and his father, and Vincent had left with him, although from the last time anyone had seen Nanaki, the gunman had left to parts unknown. Cloud wasn't surprised; if he had to guess, the man was probably back in the coffin they had found him in, or in the cave they had found Lucrecia in.

Tifa had decided to rebuild Seventh Heaven. He had agreed to help her, and everyone was just cooing over what a cute couple they made. He supposed it seemed that way; childhood friends that found each other again in a time of crisis and fell in love.

Except – they weren't in love. He wasn't sure when he had realized it, but he knew it. Tifa had been the goal; the girl he had striven to be the best for because she was the most popular girl in Nibelheim. It was depressing to realize that, but he was starting to see her as a sister. An older sister, actually, but he respected the power of her fists too much to say 'older' in front of her. Mentally, however, it was true. He had lost five years of his life to torture and Mako poisoning; in his head he still sometimes felt like he was sixteen. It was only the memories and knowledge he had gotten _stolen_ from Zack that allowed him to do what he had done while in AVALANCHE and chasing after Sephiroth.

He wasn't sure exactly what she felt for him, but he hoped that she felt similar. It was obvious she knew something was wrong; he just wasn't sure what she was thinking. Just because he didn't want a relationship with her, didn't mean he didn't care deeply for her. He didn't want to have to tell her that he wasn't in love with her if she was in love with him.

To make matters worse, he had been feeling sick the last few weeks. While he wasn't, and had never been a SOLDIER, he had enough Mako in him to put him at the same level as a First Class, and he remembered from what Zack had said that he hadn't really ever gotten ill once he started getting his Mako shots. Of course, Zack had said that when he was suffering from a particularly nasty cold, so Cloud hadn't been too happy with him at the time. He had recovered the memory of Zack trying to force feed him rather badly made chicken soup a few days ago, and while the memory had made him grin at the typical Zack actions, the knowledge had disturbed him.

He had given serious thought to what to do, but in the few short weeks that Reeve had been working on his new, eco friendly company, he had gotten an impressive amount done. Since Cloud wasn't about to go to a regular doctor, and he definitely didn't trust Shinra's doctors, that left the WRO. So he had decided finally to go see Reeve. While he wasn't a doctor, he did have access to them, and he wasn't quite as worried about ending up in the lab again with a WRO doctor. Anything in a while coat still had him reaching for his sword – which he supposed was a step up from running away screaming. He wasn't sure if Reeve had gotten around to _hiring_ doctors yet, but if not, he had faith the executive would have another idea of who he could go to.

Yet another flaw in his and Tifa's 'happily ever after' – the chronic nightmares he suffered from as a result of Hojo's machinations. She tried to smile about it, pretend it didn't bother her, but the circles under her eyes were only getting worse. He had taken to sneaking out of the bedroom after she fell asleep. It had led to one of their worst fights, and while her wish to help wake him from the nightmares was sweet, the lack of sleep was making both of them short tempered.

They finished breakfast in the same silence that they did nearly everything in, and Cloud gathered the dishes up.

"You have deliveries today?"

Cloud nodded. "Yea, a few, and then I need to go see Reeve. I'll probably be back late."

The brunette sighed. "Alright. I'll save you something to eat when you get back then."

"Thanks Teef." Little things like that were what made him feel like she was more sisterly than anything else, and he hated the guilt that sort of consideration brought.

Tifa sighed as she heard the door close. "You're welcome Cloud."

* * *

The WRO headquarters were – currently – an abandoned office building that Reeve vaguely remembered belonged to a company that Shinra had bought out shortly before Meteor. It didn't look like much yet, but the new WRO President was quick to defend himself saying that homes were more important that making his office building look good. There'd be more than enough time for that once everyone had a place to live again.

He walked into the lobby, nodding at the girl Reeve had hired as a receptionist. She didn't look much over fifteen, but the executive knew that there were far too many orphans, and working as a receptionist was a far cry better than ending up in a place like the Honey Bee Inn – usually the only option for homeless kids aside from street gangs. There was a blush on her face, and he could feel her eyes on him as he passed. He had only passed through the door when he heard the girlish squeal. The thought that he'd have to deal with girls throwing themselves at him and acting like little idiots now was only starting to dawn on him. Cloud couldn't say he liked it.

Reeve's secretary was a bit older and much more professional. She smiled politely at him while asking him to wait for a minute while she rang for the President. He still caught her gaze on him a bit more than he would like, but at least she wasn't being obvious about her staring.

Thankfully he didn't have long to wait before she let him know that Reeve was now free. With a polite nod, he stepped into the office.

"Cloud! How have you been? I'm glad you're here – I actually wanted to call you to take out a small nest of monsters on the north side of the city. Nothing big, but you know how it is, they'll just attract more, bigger monsters if we leave them alone."

Cloud nodded; it was a far cry better than deliveries. "No problem Reeve, I'll take care of them tomorrow. I actually came here to ask if you've gotten around to hiring doctors."

The brunet stopped for a minute while shuffling paperwork, looking at Cloud with shock clear on his face. "Doctor? Is everyone okay?"

The blond shrugged. "It's probably nothing, but well, I've been feeling sick lately, and I know I shouldn't, not with the Mako."

"Hmm. Yes, from what I can remember that _is_ highly irregular. I suppose that you want this to remain secret? Let me call in to the medical department. It was the first branch I started on – too much structural instability; we still have people trickling in from Midgar and Kalm that were injured by falling buildings."

Cloud nodded distractedly. He liked Reeve; really he did, but the man tended to ramble. Especially about architecture, and half the time he really had no idea what the older man was talking about.

"Alright, I'll call them up. What are the symptoms?"

"Nausaeu mostly, I would have thought it was motion sickness or food poisoning if it hadn't been so consistent, and I've been more tired than I should be lately. I assumed it was a stomach virus until I remembered I shouldn't be able to _get_ stomach viruses."

"Hmm, yes, definitely not. Alright, give me one second to call them." The brunet wasted no time, grabbing the phone and dialing. Cloud guessed the situation must still be pretty bad if he had the number memorized. He decided he'd send over some of his cure and restore material when he got back home. "Hi, yes, this is Reeve Tuesti. I have a patient here, with the symptoms of a stomach virus. They need to remain anonymous, are you able to find out what's wrong without seeing them? Um, I suppose I can provide that. Yes, if you can have someone send it up, I'll have it back to you within the hour. Thank you."

Reeve looked slightly nervous when he hung up the phone and Cloud was instantly on guard. "They have said they'll be able to run some tests, but they need a blood sample."

Cloud cringed. He _hated_ needles. Still, it would be Reeve, and he trusted the man. He wouldn't be strapped down, and he had his sword with him. "Fine."

The brunet breathed a relieved sigh, and nodded. "Alright. They'll be coming up with what I'll need to take the sample. They've also asked for a urine sample, but I assume that'll be okay with you?"

Nodding, Cloud sat down to wait. That was non-invasive; he could deal with that just fine. The more important thing was to find out what nasty surprises Hojo had managed to leave for him. "How long until they know what's wrong?"

Reeve shook his head. "I don't know. They'll be able to rule out the normal illnesses quickly enough, but with your...enhancements...it could take a while to pinpoint what the problem is. You're welcome to wait here as long as you'd like though."

Cloud sighed. "I'll go get my deliveries done and head back. You can let me know what's been ruled out then."

The messenger arrived a few minutes later, and Cloud made sure to stand out of the line of sight of the person at the door. He knew he wasn't human, but he didn't want any further attention on him if this whole 'stomach flu' ended up being something like Vincent's...parasites. The actual blood drawing wasn't that bad. Cloud had to remind himself that Reeve actually cared about not causing pain; he made sure to hit the vein, not just shove the needle in and dig it around until it hit something. He dutifully peed in a cup, and told Reeve he'd be back later. Ducking through the door he ignored the secretary's 'have a nice day' and the giggles of the receptionist as he fled towards the sanctuary of the open road.

* * *

Reeve gripped the papers and walked back into the room the blond was in. Given the young man's aversion to anything that resembled a lab, he was glad he had been able to perform the needed tests in his office. It had taken a few hours, but he had the answers the blond needed. The test he needed ended up being a fairly common one, although it wasn't anything he would have originally requested be done. Thankfully the nurses he had sent Cloud's blood work to were thorough, and he _hadn't_ mentioned anything about what tests needed to be done or who it was for, just what the symptoms were. However, he had a feeling that the answers would just make things even worse. He made sure that Cloud was well away from his sword before looking at the blond.

"Well?" Even if it was an office, he looked ready to bolt. The fact that Reeve had to draw blood hadn't gone down well, and Cloud was still on edge, even after a few hours and several deliveries had passed Needles tended to get both his and Vincent's guards up, not that he could blame them. "Is there something wrong with the Mako in me? Or whatever else Hojo did? I'm not going to start degrading like the other Firsts am I?"

"No Cloud, you're not degrading. It is related to what Hojo did however, although I'm not sure on a few details." The older man paused, not knowing how to approach this subject. "It appears that, when Hojo failed to make a successful clone of Sephiroth, he tried a different route."

The blond raised an eyebrow. "So what, I'm going to turn into him or something?"

"Not...exactly. I can't know what that man was thinking, nor do I particularly want to, but it appeared he was trying to plan a new generation, combining the research from Project G with Project S. The original attempt failed; I'm assuming you were catatonic during that time. He wanted to use someone who already had J cells in their body, and then inject more once the subject was pregnant."

Cloud frowned. "So what does that have to do with what's happening to me?"

Reeve ran a hand through his hair. "You were the subject. Your body accepted the J cells, but your mind succumbed to the Mako. Hojo wasn't even able to use you as he did the other clones, which is a good thing, but he wasn't ready to give up on you yet. He implanted a fully functioning womb inside of you to attempt to create someone that, according to him, would surpass Sephiroth. It appears that, even though his first attempt, using artificial insemination, failed, the womb is still functioning."

"Reeve...are you saying I'm..." The blond seemed torn between curling up and running, and unable to say the word.

"Yes Cloud, I'm afraid so. I...know you might not be comfortable telling me this, but would you know who the father – the other father – is?"

"Other...I thought you said it was artificial insemination, that it was done in the lab?" The blond looked confused, and Reeve had to wonder what exactly small towns taught their kids. He supposed it wasn't entirely Cloud's fault; he had been stuck in a lab during the time he should have been running around with girls – or guys.

"Well, yes, the first time. But you've been out of the lab for well over a year now, and even before that Hojo had more or less abandoned the Nibelheim lab and his...work...there. This was done the old-fashioned way. Cloud, I'm your friend, I won't care, I promise."

It still didn't appear to be clicking to him. "Care about what?"

"That you're homosexual."

Cloud gaped for a minute, nothing coming out. "I'm...not though. I'm with Tifa."

Now Reeve was getting worried; naive he may be, country boy he may be, but there was no way he could have not known about being, to put it crudely, fucked. He looked at the papers that had come back from the medical staff, grateful he hadn't put Cloud's name on it anywhere. The nurses that had taken care of the tests must have simply assumed it was one of his female companions. He wouldn't be surprised if rumours about Tifa started up after this. Taking a more careful look, he noticed the blond would be about seven weeks along, assuming the pregnancy had progressed normally.

"Seven weeks ago – where were we?"

The blond frowned in thought. "Five weeks since Meteorfall, a week since..." His eyes widened, and he looked at Reeve in shock. The brunette sat down heavily in his chair.

"You were in Mideel. But...wasn't Tifa watching over you?"

Cloud ran his hands through his spikes. "She was, but she had to have slept at some point. It seemed so peaceful there...I can't see anyone there doing something like that." The young man looked like he was about to be sick, and Reeve couldn't blame him. To find out something like this had been done to his body, and then that he had apparently been raped while he was catatonic, was more than anyone should have to deal with. Add that to what he had already been through, and Reeve was surprised he was able to remain even remotely sane. "Could it have something to do with being in the Lifestream?"

Personally, Reeve didn't think something like that was possible, but he nodded anyway; anything to give his friend something to cling to. "I suppose, at this point, anything is possible. I don't think we can know anything yet without doing more tests – and I don't think that's something you'd be interested in doing."

Cloud shook his head. "No...no more tests. So long as it's human, how it got there doesn't matter at this point."

The amount of repressing the boy did was phenomenal. Reeve was fairly convinced that there would be a massive meltdown at some point in his future. Hopefully he would be very far away when that happened.

"Reeve...no one else finds out. Swear to me." Burning blue eyes turned to him, and Reeve reluctantly found himself nodding.

"You shouldn't be alone for this Cloud."

"I can't stand to have anyone else know about this." The sheer amount of pain in his voice twisted the older man's heart.

The brunette, sighed, but nodded. "Alright. But hold on to your PHS. If you need anything, let me know and I'll send Cait Sith to you."

Cloud frowned, but nodded. He wouldn't leave yet anyway – there was still time. There was also the matter of Tifa – while they wouldn't have worked out anyway, he know had to figure out a way to break it off in the next month or so. Or was it a few weeks? "Reeve...I need information. Or something. I have no idea how to do this."

Sure, he knew how pregnancy worked –but everything he had heard was from a male's perspective. He didn't know what he could expect – or if it would even be the same for him. Knowing Hojo, the man had 'tinkered' and he would have no idea what to expect. And that was holding to the assumption that it actually was a human child.

"That'll be easy enough to get, but Cloud, you really need to have a doctor you can go to. I'll retrieve Hojo's files, and try to find out as much as I can, but I have the distinct feeling you'll need help at the end of the pregnancy regardless of what you choose for now."

Cloud blanched. "How...how exactly is that going to happen Reeve?" The blond's voice was completely emotionless, and Reeve regretted the fact that he had to be the one to give this news to the boy.

Clearing his throat, he made a show of looking at the papers, not being able to look in the younger man's eyes anymore. "I take it there haven't been any...external differences you've noticed?"

"No. And I know Tifa or I would have noticed something like _that_."

_Ask a stupid question Reeve..._ "Right. Of course. I imagine we'll have to do a caesarean section. Hojo would have planned for this to have happened completely inside the lab, and in order to have full control of the...project...that would make the most sense. But only finding his notes will tell us for sure. If it helps, the notes should be here soon; I had already requested anything relating to yourself or Vincent from Rufus."

Cloud didn't particularly look relieved at the news, and grimaced at the Shinra President's name. It had been a shock to find out that the man had actually survived the attack on Shinra tower, even if he wasn't in the best shape.

"Don't worry, I'll make sure no one actually looks at the notes; it will be for your eyes only."

"Thanks Reeve. I don't know how I'd get through this without your help."

The executive paused, frowning. "You know, Cloud, I don't think that it's as bad as you think. No one would think less of you."

Cloud gave a disbelieving laugh. "No, Reeve, I think they would. Except for Vincent, at least, because he knows what it's like. But everyone else...? I was a freak before I found out about this. Now? I'm a _man_ who's _pregnant_. I don't think it gets much worse."

"Fine. I've already said no one else will find out. I think you're wrong, but it's your choice to make."

"Alright. I'm going to...go. I need to figure out some things."


	2. Chapter 2

A/N – sorry guys, the break-up scene just wasn't working for me. I've never been a fan of Cloud/Tifa (even before I discovered slash) and I didn't even _like _Tifa until Advent character here is based on the more mature/sisterly attitude of the movie, and I hope people are okay with it. Let me know how I did. I also got utterly distracted by some R/L stuff, which didn't help.

I have a poll on my page about the title of this story – please let me know what you think.

Disclaimer: (which I believe I might have forgotten Ch 1) I don't own FFVII, or any of these characters (obviously) and I make no money off of this.

* * *

Chapter 2

Cloud stared at the door to Seventh Heaven. Three weeks had passed since he had gotten the fateful news from Reeve, and while it wasn't obvious to anyone else yet, the blond was aware that his time was up. It still didn't seem real to him, though, even with the weight gain. He had mentioned that to Reeve a few weeks earlier, asking if it was possible to redo the tests. The executive had agreed to it, clearly understanding Cloud's desire for it to all be a mistake. Unfortunately, it wasn't. Reeve had mentioned that it was sometimes hard for even women who had been consciously trying to get pregnant to believe it at first, which the blond had grudgingly accepted. Still, with the disappearance of his six pack he was forced to take the situation more seriously.

The morning sickness that was far too misleading a name had also led him to spending less and less time at the bar. Cloud had told Tifa his illness had been backlash from being so close to the Lifestream after getting Mako poisoning. She had seemed to buy it, but he knew her; if he continued getting sick she would get worried, and wouldn't rest until she knew what was really wrong.

The last few mornings it had been a struggle to get into his pants, and Tifa was far too observant to stick around any longer. If they had still been sleeping together, she would have already noticed his weight gain, but fortunately for both his secret, and to make the separation easier, they hadn't been intimate in some time. Tifa had attempted to start something a few times since his visit with Reeve, but even she had broken it off after a few half-hearted kisses.

Reeve's words still came back to him – but he couldn't bring himself to believe the executive. Tifa would either pity him or feel guilty, and he wasn't quite sure which was worse. Barrett and Cid would most likely be utterly disgusted and leave, which truthfully wouldn't bother him too much, but neither was known to be very quiet, or subtle. Yuffie...would probably think it was the best thing since ninjas, which was its own danger. She was also just as loud as the other two. If Yuffie knew, it was a fair guess that the entirety of Wutai would know by nightfall. Nanaki and Vincent would be the only other two that he would trust. Unfortunately, Vincent was impossible to find when you needed him, and Nanaki, though he would be trustworthy, and calm, was still young. By the standards of his own kind, he was a child.

Meanwhile, he had more or less memorized the wooden exterior of his girlfriend's bar. It had to have been about twenty minutes of procrastinating by now. Just because he knew what he had to do didn't make it any easy.

Before he could gather his courage, however, the door opened from the inside, and Tifa stood there, hair pulled up in a messy tie and her arms crossed over her chest. An eyebrow was raised as she stared down the sheepish looking blond.

"You can face down Jenova, Sephiroth, and whatever monster Gaia can throw at you, but you're defeated by a door? I heard Fenrir pull up, and wondered if you got lost."

Cloud managed a small smile, and stepped past the brunette into the closed bar. "Sorry Teef. I just...I need to talk to you, and I..." He sighed. It was something he needed to do, but he _had_ promised to protect her, and didn't that mean from things like this as well?

Tifa sighed behind him, and spun him around, tilting his chin down so he had no choice but to look into her wine red eyes. "Let me make it easy on you then, hmm? You love me, but you're not _in_ love with me. And that is good because that's how I feel about you. I swear, men make things so difficult."

"I...what..." Cloud was shocked and no little bit surprised at her bluntness. He also wanted to hug her for making it so easy on him.

Tifa sighed, and sat down, looking much older than her twenty years. "I had plenty of time to think, with you gone so much the last couple of months. What do we really know about each other? Important things, I mean. Neither of us are anything like we were when we were fourteen, we've both been through too much. I could yell, and scream, and rant about how we're supposed to get our happily ever after and be the perfect couple, but that wouldn't solve anything. Personally I'd much rather end this relationship now and be friends than let this continue and end up hating each other. You're too important to me for that. It's also perfectly clear to me that I'm not what you need. If I was, you wouldn't be running around the Planet." She paused, and Cloud realized how much it must hurt her to realize that even with how hard she tried, it just wasn't enough. He wished she was, Gaia he did, but it wasn't something he could force. "You need to find someone who _is_ what you need...and so do I."

The last part was said quietly, but both knew that his enhanced hearing could pick it up. Cloud was amazed that the 'princess' he remembered from his childhood had grown into such a strong, smart woman. She would certainly make _someone_ very happy; just not him.

He leaned down and kissed her check, pulling her into a hug. "Thank you Tifa."

She smiled shakily. "Of course. You are my friend Cloud; more than that, you are family. I just want you happy."

"You deserve to be happy too." Gaia help him, if things had been different, he would have stayed with her and tried his best to make her happy. He breathed in the scent of her hair, the vanilla shampoo she used. They were probably both thinking the same thoughts – if things had been different, it's possible they would have been very happy together. The future Cloud had always seen however – making SOLDIER, returning to Nibelheim a hero, and sweeping Tifa off her feet – was no longer a possibility, and it would be better for both of them to let the past go. They had both changed too much, been through too much and neither of them were the same as they had been.

"We both will be, it just takes time. Now, grab a broom, there's only a few hours until the bar opens. If you're good I'll even make those cookies you like for desert when we're done. "

That got the blond's attention and he eagerly grabbed one of the brooms. Even without the cravings, Tifa's cinnamon raisin cookies were more than worth it.

The brunette laughed at his actions. "I'm glad you like them. Still, it's good to see you've been eating more. You were far too skinny before."

Cloud paused, barely keeping a hand from going to his stomach. It was good that he had planned on leaving tomorrow – it seems he hadn't been as good at hiding the changes as he thought.

* * *

Cloud eased Fenrir to a stop, staring at the one place he never thought he'd return to. Still, that fact made it more reasonable that no one would think to look for him here. It didn't make him like it any more though.

Riding forward slowly, he passed into the main square, looking around at everything that was the same, yet still _off_ in some indiscernible way. The townspeople looked up as he passed by, not particularly caring, just going about their little acts. He didn't know if it was because they were ignorant about Shinra's fall, or if they just didn't care. The town was self-sufficient either way.

It didn't take long before his destination came into view, and he had to pause a minute as the memories rushed back to him; some his and some Zack's. This place had been the source of so many nightmares, and would be the source of more, apparently. He put his hand on his stomach, where the slightest curve was just starting to show. At three months, it should have been smaller, but apparently Hojo had been impatient. That was in his favour at least; it meant his morning sickness was gone that much quicker.

Once he was sure he wasn't going to be hit with any more flashbacks he eased forward again, after pushing open the gate that was still in need of a good oiling. Cloud wasn't planning on changing that though – when he was a child, there had been enough dares to sneak into the 'haunted mansion' and it would be extremely embarrassing to have his cover blown by some neighbourhood kid. The adults may have originally been actors hired by Shinra, but at this point they all had families, and kids are the same no matter where you go. Turning the bike off, he braced himself and walked up the stairs to the entrance.

The mansion was just the way he remembered it – dusty and unused. Still, it would give him something to do in the coming months. After throwing his stuff in one of the rooms upstairs - _All right! First a change of clothes! - _he headed back downstairs. He walked to the kitchen, figuring that was the most pressing thing to worry about. As he had expected, there was nothing remotely edible, but at the same time, thankfully nothing...growing. The fridge was completely bare, and the cabinets empty. To his surprise the appliances still worked – he supposed he should be thankful for Shinra's meddling for that reason at least.

Cloud spent the next few hours cleaning the kitchen. He was dirty and sweaty, but he was happy with his progress. Not quite as sparkling as Tifa kept the kitchen at Seventh Heaven, but still a vast improvement. He decided to take a break from the cleaning, and go hunting to actually have something _in_ the kitchen.

The hunt went well, and he field dressed the Nibel Wolf and quickly wrapped up the meat to bring back with him. It had been a fairly large beast; it would keep him fed for a week at least, since the fridge was working. That had been his big worry; hunting wasn't a problem for him, but there were very few small animals around Nibelheim thanks to the large predators and harsh climate, and it would be a waste to have to kill a Wolf each day just to eat. Not to mention the bodies would draw larger predators, like dragons, which would mean he would have to go farther out to hunt, and while at this point that wasn't a problem, he knew that in a few months that wouldn't be a possibility.

Having cleaned and partially stocked the kitchen, it was time to do what he was dreading - facing the rest of the town. He had a story in mind to tell any curious locals, but he hated and was very bad at lying, so he could only hope the truth was so farfetched that no one would figure it out even if they did guess he was lying. Mostly he would just try to stay quiet, and ignore everyone else as much as he could, but coming from a small town – even if it wasn't really the same town – he would be the main source of gossip, probably until he left.

Going through the few bags he had found, he pulled out the women's clothing he had asked Reeve to get for him. His mind automatically went back to the last time he had to dress in drag. Still, he reasoned if he could fool Don Corneo with Aerith and Tifa right there, he had a decent chance of fooling the people in town. Reeve had nearly been punched for suggesting it, but it _was _the easiest thing to do. After all, people saw what they wanted to see, and once he really started showing, no one would think he was a pregnant male dressed in drag, even if it was the truth. He couldn't count the amount of times people had walked up to them when Nanaki was with them, asking to pet the 'puppy.' So, for the next few months, he would hide in plain sight.

For the near future he would just swap out his top for women's tops; once he grew out of his pants, however, he would be resigned to dresses. Just getting baggier cargos would work for a while at least. They had tried, but unfortunately the cut of women's maternity pants just didn't work with a male's body. He still had a few pairs, just in case, but he doubted he would be able to use them. At least he hoped he wouldn't – there had been enough comments made about his 'feminine' figure – he didn't need hips on top of it. Once he had the stuffed bra and shirt on, he headed out, praying that the red on his face would be mistaken for wind burn, and not embarrassment.

The noise of Fenrir gained everyone's attention once again, but he ignored it and walked into the general store. All he needed was the basics – the things he couldn't get for himself. Cloud's first thought had been to find someplace completely cut off from all civilization, but that idea had been shut down by Reeve when the older man brought up the fact that there would come a point where he wouldn't be able to fend for himself like that. There was also the fact that what would be good enough for a healthy man in his prime would not be good enough for someone pregnant. His bag was full of prenatal vitamins, but Reeve had said they'd only last a month or two. He had also been given a stern lecture of the dangers of stress on pregnant women, and how in his situation the risks would be even higher. There was also the fact that his body would be changing, his centre of gravity shifting, and he wouldn't be able to react as quickly. The first lecture had left Cloud's mind spinning, and a queasiness that wasn't the result of morning sickness.

Cloud was not pleased about the thought of being so weakened, but as long as he didn't go out searching for trouble, it was unlikely he'd run into anything that could damage him, even in his condition.

Actually, Reeve had spent a good portion of the last few weeks explaining and lecturing to the blond about everything he could expect in the next few months. Cloud had found out that the brunet had a whole slew of older sisters, and a veritable horde of nieces and nephews. As such, he had a lot of secondary experience which he was more than willing to impart to the blond. One happened to be married to a doctor, so if it became necessary Reeve could get him involved. That was on the list of 'as a last resort' however. They'd know for sure if the man needed to be contacted once Reeve had given Cloud Hojo's notes to go over, and they had a better idea of what they were working with.

He gained a few looks and whispers as he shopped, but it was easy to ignore. Right now it was just the curiosity of having someone new in town – especially one who rode a bike and was living in the abandoned – and allegedly haunted – mansion. Memories of the slander his mother had received for being a single parent assaulted him, but he reminded himself that this was _temporary_ he didn't _care_ what they said, and forced the memories back.

Once he had what he needed (or at least thought he would need) he headed up towards the counter. The old man sitting there gave him a long look, and Cloud nearly panicked. He really didn't want anyone to recognize him, or even realize he was actually a man. There weren't too many options for towns he could go to that WRO or his friends wouldn't think to search for him.

But all the man did was start ringing up his purchases.

"New in town?" Not really much of a question, as the answer was obvious, but Cloud nodded. Hopefully he could get an early reputation of not being a big talker. He had practiced pitching his voice higher, but it hurt his throat after a while, and there was always the chance he'd slip and forget. His voice was far too deep to be mistaken for a female's.

"And living in the mansion all by yourself? Place is pretty big for one person."

Cloud nodded again; both the question and the statement were also true. Apparently the man figured out that he wasn't about to start a conversation, and finished packing up Cloud's supplies in silence.

"Fifty eight gil for everythin."

He counted out the money and grabbed both his bags and change. With a small smile, and a mumbled 'thank you', the blond left the first store.

Three stops later, and Cloud was ready to go 'home' and collapse. Shopping was by far more exhausting than fighting. The second store – where he had picked up the household supplies like blankets and towels and such, because he certainly wasn't going to use anything currently in the house – had a female clerk who had immediately latched onto him and chirped at him excitedly about how nice it was to have 'another girl her age' in town. She was clearly still a teenager, but since Mako had stunted his own growth, he didn't look like was twenty-one. Apparently the kids were all much younger than her, and the adults much older, leaving her pretty much by herself. By the time he had finished and paid, he knew more about Mae's history than he really had any desire to.

She had also managed to wring a few answers out of him – where he was from (Midgar), why he was there (to get away from Midgar) his name (he had decided to go with his mother's name, Sera) and where he was living. Thankfully, she hadn't seemed too concerned at his lack of conversation, rivalling Yuffie in her ability to talk nonstop. Thankfully he had picked up headache medicine in the general store, and gratefully downed a couple of those.

The last stop however, was the worst. He knew he had to fix up the mansion a bit; there were leaks, broken windows and missing floorboards that he really did need to fix, and other repairs that weren't really necessary (such as repainting, at least in the rooms he would use) but that he could do to pass the time.

It seemed ironic, since he had every intention of burning the place to the ground, but he'd be stuck there for the next few months, and not only would it give him something to do, but he wouldn't be able to handle living in a decaying building for that long. In one of the books Reeve had given him, it had also mentioned a 'nesting phase' at the end of the pregnancy, which, if it affected him the same way as women, meant he'd want the place to shine.

Unfortunately, the worker at the home goods store was a younger man, still probably a good five years older than Cloud, and nearly a decade older than Mae (if he had to take a guess at their ages) but close enough where he had immediately started flirting. He was blatant enough about it that even _he_ could pick up on it.

Cloud ended up having to count to ten – repeatedly, and in every language he knew – while the man showed him around the store 'helping' him because a 'pretty lady' shouldn't have to be carrying anything, and offering to do the work around the mansion for him. No fee of course. Cloud grimaced to himself thinking about what 'fee' he would expect. The thought of his reaction to finding out the 'pretty lady' was actually a guy made Cloud have to disguise his snickers as coughs, but the thought at least made the shopping experience slightly less miserable.

At least, it proved his 'disguise' was working. He wondered what Mae and the man (Kale) would say once they found out he was pregnant, but he actually wouldn't mind if the two shunned him afterwards. Unfortunately he had the sneaking suspicion that would only push Kale into trying to 'woo' him further; probably attempting to make himself out to be some knight in shining armour. The visual actually brought a small smile to Cloud's face as he finished putting everything away in the kitchen.

* * *

Loud knocking on the door dragged the blond out of bed a few days later. He groaned, and glanced at the clock. Alright, so it was already ten, but he had been sleeping far more than normal the last few months. Yet another annoying side effect of the pregnancy – really, how did women handle it? And some of them even had multiple children! Grumbling, he staggered out of bed. It was probably the annoying Kale yet again – each day he had stopped by with offers to help with fixing up the house, or to take the blond out to dinner, or other aggravatingly see-through ploys to trick 'her' into bed. With a long suffering sigh, he grudgingly dragged on more women's clothing and stomped downstairs. He was _not_ giving up his boots for any reason – they would still be on his feet even once he was forced into the damn dresses.

Yanking open the door, he was prepared to start yelling, when he noticed that Kale _wasn't_ at the door. Actually, nobody was at the door. No one human, anyway. Cait Sith sat atop the Mog robot he used as transportation. Cloud nearly punched him anyway, just on principle.

"Hi Cait."

"Weeell, look at ye, laddie. Ya don't make a bad lass."

"What do you want?" If he had known it was just Reeve's annoying robot he wouldn't have worn the ridiculous outfit. He gestured the cat inside, and as soon as the door was closed started stripping out of the top and bra, before grabbing one of his own shirts.

"Not much, not much. Reeve jus wanted ta know how ye was faring. Long way away from Midgar up here, ya know."

"That's why I'm here."

Caith Sith just stared at him a few minutes, and he was unnerved as usual by the strange intelligence that shone out of its eyes. "Hmm. Well, if ya say so, I'll leave ya to it. Reeve'll be heading up once he has all the books and such ya wanted. Now, before Ah go, how about a fortune?"

Cloud opened his mouth to say that wasn't necessary (or wanted) but the Mog had already started to make its strange noises.

"Hmm, let's see what we've got here... 'Good things come to those who wait.' Not bad, not bad."

"That's an adage, not a fortune." Cloud had to point out. Cait Sith just shrugged.

"Well, it's good to remember anyway, right? Right-o. Well, Ah'm off. And remember, Reeve'll be heading your way soon enough. Bye laddie!"

The Mog waddled its way back out the newly cleaned foyer, and out the door. Cloud had to wonder what the villagers had made of the strange contraption – or maybe it hadn't even gone through Nibelheim at all. Cloud had never paid too much attention to Reeve's toys – the one time he had asked for an explanation, he had gotten a very long-winded explanation that he had barely understood.

It had, however, given AVALANCHE a sure-fire way to put Yuffie to sleep when she got too annoying.

* * *

The following week the house looked much better. The kitchen, dining room, foyer, and the bedroom he used (with attached bathroom) were all cleaned, and he was slowly working on the rest of the downstairs. There still wasn't word on the research papers of Hojo's that Cloud needed to know if a doctor was going to be necessary for him, but he had also picked a second room that he could clean if that happened.

All of the windows were repaired, and the roof fixed as well – that had been the first thing on Cloud's list, as there was no predicting how quickly the pregnancy would progress, and he didn't want to suddenly be unable to do those repairs.

Thankfully, Kale had backed off, although Mae was either more persistent or just an idiot. She still would come over every other day, wanting to talk about 'girl stuff.' At least the rest of the village seemed to notice and respect his desire to be left alone. He was actually tempted to contemplate the idea of getting Mae and Kale together – effectively killing two birds with one stone. The only downside is that he had no idea how on earth he'd pull that one off.

He had just finished making himself a quick lunch – the second one of the day – when he heard the door and the ring of his PHS at the same time. Flipping open the phone, he saw a text from Reeve, saying that it was safe to open the door. After the first time Cait had shown up, Reeve had called and promised that if it was him, he'd let the blond know beforehand so that he didn't have to bother getting changed. Thankful he could stay in his own clothes, he made his way to the door, but still glanced out the window first. Paranoia was sometimes a good thing.

It wasn't Reeve or Cait Sith in front of the door, but he opened the door anyway, and let Nanaki in.

"Hello Cloud. I hope you don't mind me showing up here, but Reeve had said you could use a friend. Now I can see why."

Knowing there was no way of hiding the truth from the lion-like creature, he resisted the urge to cover his stomach. Nanaki could probably smell it on him anyway.

"It doesn't bother you?"

Nanaki shook his head, and stared at Cloud with that strange combination of young and old wisdom. "At least you have been given the opportunity to have a child. I will never have that, unless I am lucky enough to find another of my tribe."

Cloud frowned, not able to say anything against that that wouldn't sound incredibly callous and cruel. Their situations were completely different. Still, at least Nanaki was willing to overlook the sheer unnaturalness of it and remain his friend.

"Well, I can see you've already started to clean this place up. I might not be able to do much, not having opposable thumbs and all, but I'll do what I can."

"Thanks Nanaki." Cloud smiled slightly – he would never admit it, but it was nice to have a friendly, familiar face while he was trapped in this house.

* * *

Ending A/N – I am aware that there is a female of Nanaki's kind. Both because of the cubs seen at the end of FFVII/beginning of AC and because there's (apparently) a female in BC. However, going by game canon, he says he's the only one, and therefore we're going to happily assume that the female is somewhere in hiding and he hasn't found her yet.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N – Chapter warning (sort of) OOC Cloud. Why? Because he's pregnant and hormonal. He'll be back to normal (or as normal as he ever is) in a couple chapters. (there will only be this chapter and one more while Cloud's pregnant)

To my anonymous reviewer: Thank you for the review. For your questions – this _is_ Final Fantasy; people just can't seem to stay dead! So it's quite likely they'll at least make cameos. But no, no one else is coming to Nibelheim.

I haven't really gotten many comments on pairings – does that mean you guys don't want pairings (I got one review to that extent) or that you just trust my judgement? Not just Cloud, I'm open to suggestions for mostly anyone!

I have a new poll - I just keep getting ideas for stories! All will be written eventually, but I'd like to know what interests everyone the most, and I'll try to concentrate on that. And a little more shameless self promotion, I have a long one-shot FFVII/fairy tale cross-over based on Beauty and the Beast, featuring Cloud/Seph now posted.

Disclaimer - I still don't own FFVII or it's characters, and I still don't make any money off this.

* * *

Chapter 3

* * *

Cloud heard the knock on the door, and grudgingly got off the couch. At four months, he wasn't that large, but it was still considerably more weight than he had ever carried. Except for when Yuffie decided to be a human leech, of course. Reeve had said that, given his current progress, the pregnancy would be closer to seven months than nine. Or he was carrying twins. Cloud had told him, quite firmly, that there was no way in _hell _that he was having twins. Reeve wisely stayed quiet after that. Still, he was an executive, not a doctor, and Hojo might still have more surprises, so he wasn't counting on anything at this point. He grabbed his PHS, sending a quick text to Reeve to make sure that it was him and he didn't have to change for one of the townspeople. It was supposed to be the executive with the papers he had been able to dig up on Hojo's experiments, but it wasn't worth taking a chance and assuming. Thankfully, the answer came back quickly, and he made his way to the door.

Reeve was standing on the doorstep, holding a few piles of papers, and a few more boxes scattered around him. Cloud's eyebrows rose as he took in the sheer amount of papers there were, just on him.

"If you think this is a lot, you should see what the man had on Vincent, or even worse, Sephiroth. We gave Vincent's to him, but we looked through some of the journals on Sephiroth, or 'Specimen S' as Hojo called him. They are absolutely terrible to read. Half of them are the man's ego speaking, the rest..." Reeve shuddered. "He would explain in detail his procedures, and the 'specimen's' reactions to them. Even Rufus and the Turks were looking ill at some of the things we read. I know we had no choice but to kill the man, but the things that were done to him as a child...I can't find it in me to hate him for what he did."

Cloud grabbed a few boxes and started to carry them inside. He didn't need to be told – he had his own memories of the first year or so of his own torture, and vague memories of Zack's four years under Hojo's control. "I don't understand though – if Hojo did such horrible things to him, why did he never retaliate? From what I remember reading, he had reached the level of First Class by the time he was fifteen; surely he could have taken out one deranged scientist?"

Reeve grimaced. "Everything that was done to him in Nibelheim, before he went to Midgar to join SOLDIER, was wiped from his memory. If the knowledge of what Hojo – his own father – did to him came back while he was here, well, I can't see who wouldn't go a bit mad from that."

That made an incredible amount of sense, even if the thought of his town burning still haunted him. "I remember...things he said when we were here. Or Zack heard it." Some memories when both of them had been present were still mixed up in his head, although as time passed he got better at differentiating them. "Either way, he had said that things looked vaguely familiar. But he also said he had never been here before."

"Yes, he was here until he was...eleven I believe. He had joined the newly formed SOLDIER when he was twelve, and seen war by the time he was thirteen. I was only a lowly office worker, but I remember the fuss the executives threw over him. Everyone used to say he was cold and distant. I always thought he seemed sad."

Cloud shook his head; appalled at what the man had to go through. Granted, the blond had joined Shinra at fourteen, but he had lied about his age. And he had joined willingly; he would bet his sword that Sephiroth had not been given a choice. Cloud remembered his first meeting with Zack – they had been hunting down the two AWOL Firsts, with orders to kill, not capture. The two men hadn't even been given the option of a trial, and they had been considered the 'failures'. True, it had been mostly to keep the secret of Shinra's human experimentation from becoming public, but Cloud didn't doubt for a minute that Sephiroth would have been hunted just as fiercely had he tried to leave the company.

If Sephiroth had tried to escape Shinra with proof of those experiments, there wouldn't have been anyplace he could have hidden. General or not, strongest SOLDIER or not, the company would have thrown every SOLDIER, every Turk, and every infantryman into hunting him down. Even with superhuman strength, the numbers would have eventually overwhelmed him. Just look at Zack.

Zack-memories also told him that he had very few real friends in the company; Angeal and Genesis, Zack later on, and Tseng to an extent. Although Cloud was sure that any friendship with the Turk had to be handled carefully.

And it was all because his father had treated him as a living weapon rather than a person.

"At least he is dead now, and can't cause any more harm."

Cloud nearly growled at Nanaki, who was padding carefully down the staircase. "He _is_ still causing harm."

Reeve nodded in agreement. "It's true; the ongoing effects of both the Mako reactors and the damage caused by Meteor are still hard to gauge. We probably won't have solid solutions for years yet."

"I was actually talking about the whole 'pregnant male' thing, Reeve." The executive gave him a disparaging look. Cloud rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Fine, yes, the world is a mess as well."

Nanaki sighed. "I still don't see why you consider this to be such a curse, Cloud. You are being given a unique opportunity, and I personally think you will make a wonderful father."

Cloud's eyes blazed green, and Reeve unconsciously took a step back. The file the blond was holding went flying across the room, papers fluttering to the ground. He was glad that papers were the only thing that the younger man had been holding.

"Why do you two persist in thinking this is such a _blessing_?" The last word was practically hissed, and Nanaki flinched. "I am a _freak._ It is _uncomfortable_ and I keep throwing up, and nothing fits, and I should have had a _normal_ child with a _woman_ like _Tifa! _And let's not forget about _how_ I got this way – that I was _raped _when my friends _abandoned_ me. If that _fucker_ hadn't gotten his claws on me I would have never even known. Now I'll never be able to forget._"_

Hands still clenched, Cloud spun on his heel and left the room. A few moments later, they heard the door slam and Fenrir start up. Reeve sighed and shook his head. "Why did you have to say that Nanaki? He is having a hard enough time with this."

The feline sat down, tail swishing in agitation. "I know I shouldn't push him, but Reeve...I am worried that his hatred for this situation will lead to him hating the child. That isn't fair either, is it?"

"No, of course not, but I don't believe he will hate the child. Once the baby is born, I'm sure he'll see it the way that we do, but right now, as his friends, and the only ones he actually trusted enough to tell, we should be supporting him."

Nanaki sighed, and looked away, every inch of him looking like a scolded child. "And now he's out somewhere, upset and probably looking for monsters to take his anger out on. I'm sorry Reeve."

Reeve smiled slightly. It was hard at times to remember that even if Nanaki was technically older than him, he was mentally and emotionally much younger. "It's alright, I have managed to put my foot in my mouth with each of my sisters during at least one of their pregnancies – even if Cloud _is_ a special case, his condition will lead him to react differently than he would normally. I am frankly surprised this is the first time he reacted like that."

"No, it's actually not. There's a local man that keeps trying to...court...Cloud. The last time he came over, with a bouquet, Cloud took it and started smacking him over the head with it. I suppose we should just be lucky that his sword wasn't close to him."

The executive raised an eyebrow. "Is this someone we should be worried about? I know Cloud will hate it should his secret come out,"

Nanaki shook his head. "No, I think that Cloud had managed to convince him that his interests aren't wanted; at least, he hasn't been back for a while. I suppose having to walk back through town with leaves and petals still stuck in his hair might have done the trick."

Reeve allowed himself to chuckle. "Well, that's something, at least. Have there been any other issues with the people in town?"

The feline shook his head. "Not that I've seen, or that Cloud's mentioned. He did mention they were starting to comment on his being pregnant, and from what they can see, unmarried, but he said he had been expecting that, and it's more likely that they'll avoid him rather than expose him. Cloud's not concerned about it at least."

"Or he's pretending not to care. Well, either way, once he's back in Edge it will be fine – there's no such thing as a normal family unit anymore, and as sexist as it may be, single fathers aren't looked down on like single mothers are."

Nanaki snorted. "You humans are too hung up on things like that. Children are something to be celebrated." He flicked his tail in irritation, but it was definitely time to change the subject. "Will you stay until Cloud returns?"

Reeve nodded. "I suppose I should." Cloud was normally more than capable of taking care of himself, but right now, the executive couldn't help but worry about his friend.

* * *

Cloud sliced through another small monster. It felt good to be out again, with a sword in his hands. He knew it was a really bad idea, but it was, and always had been, a stress relief to hunt. The monsters around Nibelheim, with the exception of the dragons and Nibel wolves, weren't too dangerous, even in his condition. As long as he didn't go too far up Mt. Nibel, he'd be fine.

Truthfully, it really wasn't _that_ awful anymore. The nausea had disappeared a few weeks after his arrival, but he was still tired all the time, and the mood swings and cravings just made him feel like he didn't even have control over his own body. Physically, it was bearable. Mentally, he was as much a mess as his hormones.

That had been the reason the town had figured him out. He had wanted a Nibel burger, which hadn't been surprising, since it was a staple of Nibelheim, and each wolf could make a lot of burgers. However, wanting to add Wutain fried rice to it had turned a few heads, and it didn't take long for someone – rather predictably Mae – to ask if he was pregnant. There was no point in lying, but he had still just nodded, knowing that a whole slew of questions would follow. They did, of course, but he either ignored them, or gave one word answers. Thankfully no one really thought it was strange anymore, as they had all gotten used to 'Sera' not being much of a talker.

The difference between the 'real' Nibelheim and the fake had also become much more obvious – the original townspeople would have been outright rude to him, or shunned him completely. Now, there were some disapproving looks, and rumours flew, but it was not nearly as bad as he thought it would be. Cloud guessed it was because, even though they had been posing as people from a small town, they were probably all from Midgar originally, and some of the city's more liberal mindset must have stuck. He was grateful – while it would hardly have been dangerous to him to have the town dislike him, it made things a lot easier that they didn't.

After taking out his aggravation on the small monster population, he turned to the regular wildlife. At least he could bring something back for dinner. He was sure that Reeve would still be there; the man worried far too much about him.

* * *

It was nearly dark by the time Cloud finally returned, and Reeve had to restrain himself from commenting on the dangers of hunting in his condition as he saw the meat that the blond had field dressed and carried back with him. He seemed calmer, which was something at least, and there was no point in getting into another disagreement. The stress was just as dangerous as the hunting.

They ate a quick meal, and Cloud grudgingly offered Reeve a room for the night. They were on their way to their separate bedrooms when the blond paused, and turned to them.

"I'm sorry. I know you mean well, and I am sure it'll be worth it in the end, like you said. I just..." he paused, trying to collect his thoughts and word how he felt so that it would make sense to them. "I still _feel_ like I'm sixteen. I lost so much time, and the last year has been so crazy – even if it was Tifa and I having this kid, I don't know if I'd feel ready. Having it like this...I just want the next few months over with. I am grateful for your help, and your support, but please don't try and convince me this is a good thing."

He didn't wait for their responses, just disappeared into his room. Knowing that anything they said would be overhead by the blond the two simply exchanged a look and went their separate ways. Cloud didn't speak much, and rarely did he actually tell people how he was feeling, so neither wanted to upset him anymore that day.

* * *

Rubbing his ever-growing stomach, Cloud forced his eyes open and onto the papers in front of him. He had found, after the first few folders that he would have nightmares after reading any of the notes, regardless of the time of day - his memories and Zack's coming to the front of him consciousness - and it was better for him to read them when he was half asleep. Otherwise he had to grab the Tsuragi and go chop things up, picturing Hojo's head on them. Then Nanaki would scold him, he'd yell, and he'd feel just as stressed out as _before_ he went out to kill things. While he wouldn't admit it to the annoying feline, even at a little over 5 months he was getting too large to effectively wield a Buster class sword, and had taken to only bringing a few of the smaller blades when he went out. Even that would have to end soon enough.

So gruesome bedtime reading it was.

The first few boxes he could distinctly remember happening; his body, and Zack's, cut open and stitched back together in every way imaginable, testing the limits of his and his friend's endurance, and the endless injections of Mako and Jenova cells. Those years actually hadn't been that bad; he and Zack had been able to help each other through it, the other one's presence enough to keep them fighting. The endurance training had actually been a relief – they were allowed out of the tubes and cells, even if there was still no way out of the lab. Being able to stretch their muscles, to feel like they were _doing_ something – and most importantly, not strapped to an exam table – was a reminder of 'normal' and of their lives before hell.

Some of Hojo's reasoning boggled the mind, but he did write down a purpose behind each and every experiment. The fact that he could justify the pain and suffering he had caused, and even have some of it approved by the former President, was sickening.

It was after he had succumbed to the Mako poisoning that it got bad. Zack was summarily ignored; Hojo having come to the conclusion that since he already had more Mako than blood, and there were no signs of any of Jenova's traits, that he just wasn't susceptible. The First was kept mostly because there was no way he could be allowed free, and the scientist wasn't about to just throw out a 'specimen' that he may one day find a use for. Hojo then turned his entire attention on Cloud, assuming that since the blond wasn't going to be returning to consciousness any time soon, and therefore wouldn't be able to be an effective clone or fighter, he could try some of his ...riskier (read: more insane) experiments on his unresponsive body.

Including giving a male a fully-functioning womb. Reading about that had him in nearly a white hot rage. Hojo had expressed his regret that the womb couldn't have been installed in the 'stronger' specimen, but that at least with the amount of Jenova cells in him, any children would be even closer to the Calamity than Sephiroth was, especially considering that Sephiroth would have been the father. Cloud was just glad that Hojo's ego had allowed him to try it with the General's genetic material rather than his own. The thought of that man's spawn growing in him made him sick. Still, Hojo wanted results, especially after the 'failure' of his first experiment had lowered him in Shinra's esteem, and the scientist knew the best way to get them.

It had taken some fiddling to get him to be able to conceive, and the first few tries had failed completely. After that, Cloud had been shocked to find out that conception had taken place, but the embryo had miscarried within the first couple of weeks. As cruel as it sounded, Cloud was glad for that – the child would have been brought up by the same man who had 'raised' Sephiroth, but without the backing of being an official 'project' of Shinra Corp, and without the minor freedom that becoming a SOLDIER would bring.

He just couldn't understand how the man could be so uncaring about using his own son – and planning on using his own grandchild – as nothing more than experiments. More than anything that had been done to him, or Zack, or Vincent, that made him want to bring the man back and kill him again.

That train of thought always led back to the parentage of the child currently growing inside him. He knew, logically, what must have happened, even if the actions were lost in the haze of Mako – something he was eternally grateful for. The blond had suggested his dip in the Lifestream, but Reeve was certain that there wasn't a way for him to get pregnant from just that. The Lifesteam was spirit energy, not physical, and there was also the fact that Tifa had gone in after him and not gotten pregnant. Reeve at least seemed to understand where he was coming from by grasping at straws, but the executive wasn't about to let him delude himself like that.

Instead, he had sent a team from the WRO to take blood samples from the entire population – including women and children, simply because the cover story was that they were monitoring the effects of the Lifestream erupting there. It would also be a way to find out the parentage should the man have died. That way, once his child was born, they would at least be able to give a name to the father. Cloud planned on going and treating the man to a very long and painful death.

After that, the child would just be his, and he'd never have to think about the other father again. He would go back to Edge, make a story up about finding the child with its dying parent, and that since he couldn't abandon an infant, or provide for it on the road, went back there to try and provide it with some sort of stable environment.

Then Reeve just _had_ to go and point out that he couldn't lie to save his life.

Unfortunately, it was true. That just meant that the story would have to be very basic, and very vague, and pray to the goddess that the girls were too busy cooing over the newborn to pay too much attention to the details.

Reeve had given him a dubious look, but had just shrugged. Cloud knew that the executive still thought he should just _tell_ people.

As it was, there was one last person he'd _have_ to tell. Just a couple days ago he had found the papers dealing with the mechanics of the womb, and Reeve had been right – he would have to have a c-section. The uterus that Hojo had placed inside him had a passage right above his prostrate that would allow impregnation, but his body simply wasn't able to accommodate a natural birth. There had been notes about the possibility of removing his male organs and replacing them with female, which would allow that, but (thankfully) the scientist had decided that would be extra work for no good reason as he had been in a coma and unable to give birth anyway. Cloud had cringed at how close he had come to actually being made fully into a female. It was bad enough that he had found out that he wouldn't ever actually be able to father a child; at least he still _looked_ like a man. Or would; once he was no longer pregnant and wearing dresses.

Reeve had called his brother in law, and the two would be heading up in a few days. The executive had assured him that the doctor was trustworthy, had delivered all of Reeve's nieces and nephews, and Cloud had grudgingly agreed. It's not like he had much choice in the matter, and he figured he could still threaten the man if he tried to expose his secret.

* * *

Cloud paced through the mansion. Reeve and his doctor were due to arrive at any time, and the thought of having a complete stranger see him like this was stressing him out. He had gotten used to the stares and the whispers in town; although that was something else he had to thank Reeve for. A few weeks ago, Reeve had stopped into the general store on his way out of town, mentioning how grateful he was for everyone making 'Sera' welcome, since they had been worried about the poor air quality in Edge. Without having to lie, people had just assumed the executive was the father, and since he was there (sometimes, at least) Cloud was taken out of the 'shameful single mother' category.

Now people greeted him like a member of the community, which he found highly ironic, but at least he was able to go into town to shop without dealing with scorn. Of course, instead he had to deal with every single woman coming up and trying to _touch_ him. He didn't get it, and didn't like it. Even his glares didn't seem to deter people.

But at least they weren't _exactly_ strangers, and they all thought he was female. This person, who he had never met before, and only had Reeve's word that he was trustworthy, would be coming here to give him a full check-up.

It was like a nightmare.

Nanaki sat on the landing and watched him pace, and the feline's calm only served to aggravate Cloud more. Thankfully, there wasn't much longer to wait before he heard the car come up towards the mansion, and then the sound of two sets of footsteps. Cloud contemplated taking off on Fenrir.

"You may not like it, but there really isn't much of a choice." Nanaki had walked down to join him, and give his own version of 'moral support.' "If it seems like he's not trustworthy, I can always eat him."

That got a small laugh out of the blond. "Nah, I don't think it will come to that. I might not be able to use my damn sword anymore, but I can still shoot."

The door opened, and Cloud tensed. Reeve walked in with an older man, taller than him, which Cloud had to grudgingly admit didn't take much, greying hair, and glasses.

"Hi Cloud, this is Dr. Myaki. I've filled him in on your situation, and he's agreed to help you, and of course to keep your secret."

"Nice to meet you Cloud. Reeve has also told me your dislike of doctors in general, and given your reasons, I can hardly blame you. The first thing I'd like to do is to talk to you about how the pregnancy has been progressing so far, and what else you can expect. Then I'll do the physical to make sure everything's okay. Reeve, would you mind setting up the ultrasound machine while I speak to Cloud?"

Reeve nodded and headed back to the car, giving Cloud a small smile, probably meant to be encouraging.

The two men went into one of the sitting rooms, and Nanaki curled by Cloud's feet. He wasn't sure if the doctor realized that the feline was intelligent, but he was glad for his presence regardless.

"So, Cloud, tell me how the pregnancy's been progressing so far?"

The blond spent the next half hour answering Myaki's questions, and was somewhat glad to find out that while it was progressing a bit quicker, it was more or less normal. This was he could at least have an idea of what was coming. Myaki had said that he wouldn't know exactly how long there was left until they did the ultrasound. (Which Myaki – and Reeve – had had to reassure the blond was completely non-invasive about a dozen times) Cloud was surprised to find out that what he had thought were stomach pangs was actually the baby moving.

After Myaki's seemingly endless questions, he had Cloud take his shirt off for the ultrasound. Cloud watched him warily as he smeared the gel on his stomach, but true to his word, all he did was move the wand over his stomach. It took a few minutes, but the doctor finally paused. When the doctor turned the screen towards Cloud, the blond was shocked. He had been unable to deny what was happening to him for months, ever since he started getting bigger, but the picture on the screen was a nearly fully formed baby, and the full impact of his situation hit him. There was actually some_one_ - not something - but another living person, growing inside him. Dr. Myaki flipped another switch and he heard a fast paced thumping which he realized was the baby's heartbeat.

"That's...amazing."

The doctor grinned, and nodded. "The best part about doing this is seeing parent's faces the first time they see an ultrasound of their child. I have some reading material for you, as well. I would estimate you to be around 27 to 28 weeks, which from what Reeve says, you're actually only 22. If you continue at this rate, we'll probably want to have the c-section at around thirty weeks. But of course, we can adjust the date as needed.

"I'll print some of the pictures off for you. Everything looks good, but I do still want to take a blood test to make sure."

Cloud just nodded, and barely even noticed when his blood was drawn, eyes riveted to the screen and the gently moving form depicted there.

"Reeve also mentioned that you have the notes Hojo wrote? I would like to go over the ones regarding the womb and anything that might affect your health or the baby's health."

The scorn in the man's voice when he said Hojo's name made Cloud rethink his automatic 'no'. It was better than having another surprise sprung on him at least.

Reluctantly, he moved, and Myaki shut off the machine, and the fast-paced heartbeat went quiet. Cloud slipped his shirt back on, and went to get the papers the doctor wanted, one hand still sitting on his stomach.

Now he could understand what Nanaki had meant when he said that it was a 'unique opportunity'. Sure, he would be much happier if it could have been a normal pregnancy, and he could have been a normal father, with his wife or girlfriend carrying the baby. Nothing would ever make him enjoy being pregnant. But seeing that baby – _his_ baby – growing inside him...there really was something special about that.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N - I...really don't like this chapter. Probably why it took me so long to get it out. Cloud just refused to cooperate. Hopefully you guys like it at least. Let me know what you think! **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. **

* * *

Chapter 4

It was decided that the doctor would stay at the mansion. Even with his reassurance that there was still nearly two months left, he and Reeve felt that it would be better to be safe than sorry. They had no idea what could happen, and should the blond go into premature labour the results could be deadly for both parent and child. So Cloud cleared out another room in the mansion, right next to his. The invasion of his personal space wasn't appreciated, but Cloud had to concede the point, as it was the most logical. There wasn't much point in having the doctor stay there for emergencies if there was an entire mansion between the two of them. The blond was also drilled daily on the warning signs of when to call for the doctor. Cloud had groused that he might as well just follow the older man around, but had hurriedly changed the subject when Myaki mentioned that might be safest.

Thankfully, Nanaki was there, and half the time the feline would end up lounging next to Cloud's bed, or in his room somewhere. He hated to admit it, but he wasn't really able to defend himself at this point. Tsuragi had been hidden somewhere, even though he could barely use it effectively, and his body was growing too quickly for him to adapt. Apparently Reeve had been worried that the swordsman would still try to practice – which was a valid concern, because he could practically _feel _himself losing muscle mass. The weakness made him irritable, but he just had to suck it up at this point and deal. And keep reminding himself that it was only temporary. The doctor had also prescribed exercises that would help him keep in relatively good shape, which Cloud was grateful for. The easier it was for him to get back into fighting shape afterwards, the better, so far as he was concerned; especially as he would have a baby to protect on the way back to Edge.

Reeve had to go back to Midgar the following day; even though as President of the WRO he could find plenty of reasons to disappear for a few days, he couldn't do it too much, or certain groups (the Turks) would figure out where he was going, and from there, Cloud's secret. The executive did promise, however, to come back for the birth. Cloud had already decided that Reeve would be named the child's godfather. From the start, the older man had been there for him, not looking at him like he was a freak, not batting an eye at his more violent outbursts, and helping even in ways he wouldn't have expected, such as finding a discreet doctor and stopping the rumours around town. He more than deserved the title, even if no one else knew why.

Life fell into a somewhat comfortable routine after the Doctor Myaki arrived. Cloud would wake up, make breakfast for the three of them – he had learned all of his cooking skills from his mother, and could cook a decent meal, even if it wasn't gourmet – and then submit grudgingly to a check-up by the doctor. He had questioned the _everyday_ bit, but Myaki was unwilling to take any chances. Since he kept them all non-evasive (except for a once a week blood test) the blond hadn't really been able to complain too much. That may have had more to do with the growing collection of ultrasound pictures that had taken up residence in a box under his bed (which Cloud would deny owning, but would pull out at any opportunity). It was nice to be able to remind himself that all of this torture would be worth it in the end.

There was also the pleasure he couldn't quite hide at hearing the heart beat or feeling the baby move (now that he knew that's what it was). One of the more memorable check-ups was when Dr. Myaki had asked Cloud about names, and he realized that he hadn't even thought about that. The next shipment from Reeve had included a book of baby names, which he took to reading at night, asking Nanaki his opinion when he came across a name he particularly liked.

Afterwards, Myaki would make any trips out to the town that was necessary, including any of the random cravings that he may have. Occasionally Cloud would join them and he would go with the doctor as 'Sera'. Annoyingly, the maternity pants _didn't_ fit him – but since that meant he hadn't gotten hips he was willing to wear the dresses. He also hadn't gotten other certain...feminine parts...so he continued with the padded bras as well. It had been a relief when he hadn't started to develop breasts, but none of the reports he read suggested that he would, and the doctor had confirmed that if he hadn't by now, he didn't have to worry about that, at least. Apparently Hojo hadn't bothered to add mammary glands, both because Cloud had been unconscious and wouldn't have been able to nurse an infant anyway, and because none of the artificially conceived pregnancies had gotten to that point. Dr. Myaki, looking over Hojo's notes, had said it would have been a dangerous (not that Hojo would have cared), time-consuming (the main reason for it being scrapped) and ultimately pointless series of surgeries, IF it had even worked.

So, much to Cloud's relief, bottled milk had been put on the list of supplies needed.

The blond had been surprised, the first time he had visited the town after Reeve's last visit, to find the rumours had stopped. Kale had thankfully backed off, though he almost wished all he had to duck was the other man's poor attempts at courting. Now he had to deal with the hordes of women who had descended on him, offering advice, opinions, and gossip. And _touching – _he felt his hand instinctively twitching for his sword every time someone walked up and boldly laid their hand on his growing stomach. A few times he had been unsuccessful at stopping the growl of irritation, but to _further_ annoy him, all that got him was a strange look – no fear, no backing off.

He had to admit, some of the advice was useful – the heated pads for his back were a godsend – but everything else made him want to hide. Cloud knew they meant well, but still. Perhaps being shunned would have been better. Give him a pack of monsters over a pack of nosy women any day. At least monsters he knew how to deal with.

The worst he had experienced since Reeve's intervention was when he was looking at the bottled milk. One of the older women had asked him, rather haughtily, if he thought he was too good to breastfeed. However, it had only taken the bewildered blond replying that he _couldn't_ to turn the woman's look from scornful to sympathetic. She then proceeded to explain all the different types and nutrients that a newborn would need. Cloud had emerged from the store with his head spinning but a bag full of what Leiza had said was the best bottled milk on the market.

Cloud had questioned buying so much, since he still planned on going back to Edge after everything was over, but both the doctor and the women he spoke to told him that he'd be surprised how quickly he went through supplies. Thankfully money wasn't an issue, but the totals were still shocking.

Doctor Myaki hadn't changed his estimate of thirty weeks, and those two months were spent preparing. They had to get a crib, since neither Cloud nor the newborn would be able to travel right away, and the baby would still need someplace to sleep, even if it was only temporarily. In addition to the gallons of milk there were also mountains of diapers, bags full of clothing, pacifiers, even toys. The room they had chosen as the temporary nursery was close to overflowing. Cloud had questioned how all of it was going to get back to Edge, but Myaki had just laughed at him, and explained that most of it would be used or outgrown within a few months. The blond had stared incredulously at the doctor and wondered how anyone managed to raise a child without going broke – or insane.

Then there was The Day that Cloud had – grudgingly – let Mae into the house.

The girl had taken to coming over every few days, since Cloud wasn't really able to get to town much anymore. Expecting that the blond was getting bored (which was true, even if he didn't particularly want Mae's company to ease said boredom) she had taken it upon herself to visit him and break up his days. She thought it was 'so romantic' that Reeve had 'insisted' on having the doctor stay with Cloud, Of course, to her, it just appeared like a nervous father with his 'wife' so far away from a larger city and more modern facilities, and there was no way he was enlightening her on the truth of the matter.

So every few days she would come over, and talk at him about what was happening in the town, and occasionally even drag a few responses from him about how the pregnancy was going. Mae had even convinced him to show her a few of the ultrasound pictures which she had cooed over. At least she was one of the few people who seemed to realize he _didn't _like being touched.

Showing her the nursery hadn't seemed like a bad, or dangerous, idea. When she had stepped inside, stared around in shock, and then promptly left, Cloud wasn't sure what to do. He didn't particularly care for her visits, but the manner in which she left had seemed...suspicious.

He had, unfortunately, been proven right when she showed up a few hours later with a smirking Kale and several cans of paint. Cloud had been unceremoniously shut out of the room and told not to open the door until he was told to. Retreating to the library (the normal one; he had taken extreme pleasure in setting fire to everything still left in the labs), he had almost forgotten about the couple upstairs until they came to get him.

The room had been completely transformed – everything had been put away in the dressers, the crib had been set up, and the room had been painted blue and yellow with a decorative border running along the middle. He was really hoping the figures on it weren't what he _thought_ they were, however. The blond decided that it had to be the paint fumes – fading but still noticeable to Mako enhanced senses – that was making his eyes water.

"You two didn't have to do all of this."

Mae grinned and patted his arm. "Of course we did. You _are_ our friend, after all, and it's not like you could do it yourself at this point. No lifting, and paint fumes are bad for the baby."

Cloud flushed a bit at the friend comment – he felt bad because he didn't _really_ consider either of them friends; plus he was lying to them and he would be leaving town in just a few months. Yet they had still put in all this effort for him.

"I just meant...well, I'm going back to Edge."

"And where were you going to keep it until you left? It took us half an hour just to _find_ the crib." Cloud thought he might have preferred it when the man was trying to be charming.

"What Kale means is that even if it's only temporary, babies need a nice, comfortable, cheerful place to sleep. Now you have one."

Cloud surreptitiously glanced at the rest of the manor, but was smart enough not to mention that. He could only imagine Vincent's reaction if he were to ever come back and find the entire place painted in pastels. He mumbled another thank you, but luckily the two noticed his embarrassment and quickly changed to subject, insisting on him going back with them into town for dinner.

When he returned later that night, Nanaki was in his usual place on the rug at the foot of the bed, a grin on his face.

"Baby chocobos?"

"Shut up."

* * *

It was edging towards the thirty-second week when the doctor deemed Cloud (and more importantly) the baby ready. It was a balancing act – he had said that doing a c-section too prematurely was dangerous if the lungs weren't fully formed, but the risk of Cloud going into labour when there wasn't any place for the baby to go was just as hazardous to the child's health. Reeve had been called and was on his way, and Cloud was attempting to not hyperventilate.

While he was very glad that the pregnancy would be over and he could have his body back, he was worried about flashbacks to the lab and going into a panic attack or something similar during the surgery, and the fact that after this he was going to be a parent – something he was in no way prepared for.

He was told to go walk around while they waited for Reeve to arrive, and Dr. Myaki set up what he would need for the delivery. Cloud very firmly pushed the images of Mako tanks and lab tables and _needles_ out of his head and went to walk around the restored gardens. The second floor had been more or less off limits for the last two weeks – he went down the stairs once in the morning and back up the stairs once in the evening, and that was about all his body could take at this point. Even walking around the garden would end up tiring him out – but that was probably the doctor's plan. Tire him out so he couldn't freak out once he was on the operating table. He cringed and went back to studying the flowers. Too bad he didn't know what any of them were other than the roses.

The blond heard the helicopter well before it came into sight, and had more than enough time – even at the slow pace he had to go at – to get back inside before it touched down. Reeve entered the manor a short while later, noticing the blond eyeing the kitchen.

"Nothing to eat or drink, you know that Cloud."

Cloud nodded, even if he _was_ famished, his nerves wouldn't allow him to eat at this point anyway. "Can you go see if Dr. Myaki is ready for me?" He knew he sounded like a little kid, but he did not want to go in that room a second before he had to. Thankfully, Reeve understood that, and his reasons behind it as well, and readily agreed, disappearing into what had been a lounge, but they had converted into an operating room. Two full walls were windows, which Cloud had refused to let be covered. Being able to see the sky when he was getting poked and prodded made him less likely to panic.

The previous few weeks, he had been told several times what to expect from the caesarean, and he knew that, considering what he'd already been through, this was straightforward, simple, and probably not even painful. Unless the Mako burned off the anaesthetic too quickly – that had been one thing they discussed, and Cloud had agreed with the doctor that if that happened, he'd deal with the pain, since too much could hurt the baby, and it wasn't like a cut in his stomach was the worst pain he'd ever dealt with.

Still, when the time came to change into the hospital gown and get onto that table, he found his hands shaking. Perhaps coming to Nibelheim, to willingly go through a surgery in the same town – in the same house – as everything that had been done to him, hadn't been the best idea. At this point though, all he could do was force himself to calm down, and get on the table.

It was padded, nothing like the cold sterile tables in the lab. The light was natural, except for a small light directly above his abdomen, not the glaring fluorescents. And most importantly, it was Reeve and Dr Myaki, not Hojo and whatever nameless wannabe scientist he had helping him.

They had gone over the entire procedure step by step beforehand, since Cloud had grudgingly told them about Hojo's tendency to brag as he was working, so Myaki would speak as little as possible during the surgery. There also wasn't the screen that the doctor had said was normally used, since Cloud was far too paranoid to not be able to see what was going on, and it wasn't like seeing a little bit of his own blood and guts would bother him too badly.

He still didn't watch as the needle entered his skin though – that was something that never failed to make him queasy.

Dr. Myaki didn't bother to wait for the anaesthetic to take full effect, knowing he was working against the Mako burning it off as quickly as it could. Cloud couldn't help flinching at the first cut, but otherwise remained still and simply watched. He could see the doctor's desire to see how the womb had been grafted into his body, but to his relief, Myaki suppressed that urge, and instead concentrated on extracting the infant.

He couldn't really see what the older man was doing, and thankfully after the first cut he couldn't really feel anything either, but Reeve was there, helping the doctor and acting as a makeshift nurse, so at this point all he could do was trust his friend. It only seemed like minutes later when he saw the doctor carefully cutting away the umbilical cord. The blond only got a glimpse of something wrinkly and red before Reeve had wrapped him up and taken him over to the side of the room to clean up. Cloud closed his eyes, glad it was over, but couldn't help the smile when he heard the tiny wail of his newborn son.

"Do you have a name for him?"

The blond smiled. "Rune." He levered himself up on his elbows, grateful that his stomach had already started to shrink. He'd have his abs back in no time. The Mako was already hard at work repairing the internal damage the birth had caused. Dr. Myaki was still insisting on stitching him up, although he felt it was a waste of time. When he opened his eyes though, he stared in shock. Glancing up at Reeve, it appeared the older man had come to the same conclusion.

"It's only his hair, Cloud, and it may darken as he grows. Everything else takes after you."

"How...?"

Reeve shook his head, but waited for the doctor to leave - the other man clearly realizing this was a private conversation -before continuing.

"I should have considered that, I'm sorry Cloud. We knew from what happened at the temple that Sephiroth had some way of finding you, and since Hojo was working with him, the knowledge of the womb would have been there. It could have been a last ditch effort by Hojo to continue his experiments. Perhaps he felt that since artificial insemination didn't work, he could try again using the natural method. Sephiroth's reasons behind it...well, those are harder to comprehend. The point, though, and I can run the tests to prove it, is that this _isn't _Sephiroth. I think it's safe to assume he is the other father, but I can already see that there is too much of you in him already." Reeve glanced at the pair, and the fading but still slightly visible worry in his eyes. "Just raise him with love, Cloud, and you have nothing to worry about."

Cloud breathed a sigh of relief and held out his arms to take his son. True to Reeve's word, the little boy had bright blue eyes that were slowly closing as the baby fell back asleep. He couldn't help the grin that came to his face. Regardless of how it happened, he would love his son. He would also make sure that Rune had a better life than either of his fathers. There was just the matter of making sure none of his friends noticed that his little boy had silver hair.

* * *

The first few days after the surgery were hell for Cloud. Dr. Myaki had forbidden him from even leaving the bed, regardless of the fact that his body had already nearly healed. He had not allowed Cloud to use potions or cure Materia, saying that when it came to births, even c-sections, they tended to do more harm than good. (The doctor had gone into a technical explanation that had lost the blond at the first ten-syllable word) At least Cloud had his advanced healing – otherwise he could have been bedridden for weeks. So now he had a grand total of two scars on his abdomen – the short one where Sephiroth had stabbed him all those years ago in Nibelheim, and this new one low on his belly. It had surprised him when it had faded down to a white line, but hadn't completely disappeared; but thinking about it, it made sense. Small wounds healed up in minutes, and probably wouldn't have left scars even if it wasn't for the Mako in his body; larger wounds, the ones that _would _scar he had used magic or a potion on. Even if he wasn't in the middle of a battle, he had gotten so used to making sure he was always in top shape – even if they were someplace 'safe', after all, didn't mean they couldn't get attacked without warning. It made him curious as to how that worked, but unfortunately the only one who would probably have had an answer for him would have been Aerith.

Still, even if he was unable to do too much on doctor's orders, he got to spend most of his time with Rune. The boy was incredibly tiny, even though he was assured by both Reeve and Myaki he was a normal size, even a bit bigger than the doctor was expecting, given the circumstances. Cloud had been so nervous holding him – with his enhanced strength he had been afraid of squeezing him too hard, or holding him too lightly to prevent that from happening and dropping him instead. At least when he was more or less confined in the bed he didn't have to worry about the boy falling far. Even when he wasn't actively taking care of Rune, he found he didn't want to go too far away. He regretted not having the crib in the room with him, but at the same time, if he had done that, he'd likely be getting no sleep at all. Still, he found himself in the nursery every spare minute, smiling down at his son. It still didn't seem quite real to him, but it was still wonderful. Damn them both, but Reeve and Nanaki were right about that. He still hated what Hojo had done to him, but it didn't make him love Rune less.

He had wanted to be on the road right away, but unfortunately Cloud had to concede that it just wasn't possible. The boy needed far too much attention for the blond to even attempt a cross-continent trip. The swordsman also had to admit _he_ really wasn't up to the trip either. He was still sore and woefully out of shape. His metabolism had burned away most of the extra weight, but even lifting his beloved sword was a task he didn't want to consider right now.

All in all though, he wasn't doing that badly. He had plenty of opportunities to get back in shape, and home up on his neglected fighting skills in the area; Reeve was still helping, as was Dr. Myaki, and Nanaki (who had been pretty much reduced to a living baby monitor)

Plus, the longer he was here, the longer he could avoid the uncomfortable questions that were sure to come when he returned home.

* * *

The blond shifted his son on his hip and glanced around the manor. He had to admit it didn't look nearly as scary anymore as it had. The dust was gone, windows and wals were whole, and even the outside was well-kept. He still couldn't bring himself to live there, even if he didn't have responsibilities in Edge, but it would make a good home for someone.

The last few months had been exhausting. He had known taking care of a newborn would be a lot of work, but the reality was so much worse than what he was expecting. Reeve had stayed for a week, but then he got word of a building collapse in Edge, and he and Dr Myaki had left. Nanaki tried to help as best he can, but without hands most of it was left to Cloud. So the following months had been spent trying to get everything ready to leave for Edge, training to get his body back in shape, and attempting to sleep, interspersed at random with cries for food or a change of diaper.

If Rufus could guarantee a full night's sleep, he'd even take the blond's offer to return to Shinra.

Rune's hair had darkened to a platinum blond – still lighter than Cloud's own hair, but different enough to hopefully not raise any suspicions in his friends. The boy's eyes were also the same vibrant blue that Cloud's had been before four years in a Mako tank, but blue eyes were common enough, especially in an infant, to not give away Rune's parentage. He hoped. The story of where he 'found' Rune changed every day, and the blond had reluctantly come to the conclusion that he'd probably end up going with whatever came to mind when asked.

Getting back to Edge was going to be a challenge as well. Even though the stops to feed and change Rune wouldn't be quite as frequent with the four month old, it would still take a lot longer than if he was on his own. He wasn't really worried about the danger at this point – he had fully recovered his strength by this point, testing himself on some of the dragons before making plans to leave. But now he had to leave in the next few days – it was nearly a year to the day that Meteor had been stopped, and if he wasn't back Tifa and the rest of them wouldn't let him forget it.

He had emptied out and converted some of the compartments on the bike so he could fit in what he needed for Rune, and still fit in his sword. He had planned out the trip to be able to spend most nights in inns, with access to stores where he could resupply, but he didn't want to depend on that, not when it wasn't just himself.

When he had said he'd' go back to Edge on Fenrir, Reeve hadn't thought that taking an infant on the bike was a good idea, and now that the time had come, Cloud was rethinking it as well – but at the same time, there wasn't really a choice at this point. He had made it as safe as possible, the bike was sturdy, and he wasn't going to be speeding like he normally did.

Nanaki had left earlier that morning, wanting to stop by Cosmo Canyon before returning to Edge, and he had packed as much as he could into the bike the previous day, so now there really wasn't anything left to do. As much as he wanted to be home, he found himself procrastinating leaving. With an annoyed grumble, he closed and locked the door. His extended stay would have probably stopped any rumours of the place being haunted, so locks would now be necessary.

Rune was strapped securely in the holder on his chest; in the slim chance a monster actually attacked him, his back would be far more vulnerable. Cloud double checked everything one last time then headed out, resisting the urge to look back.

* * *

**Ending A/N - no, I did not use one of the Remnants. Why? Because they are part of Sephiroth, therefore I don't see them as his children. (This is, of course, my personal opinion based on canon, and I enjoy fics with them as brothers/sons of Sephiroth. Who knows - they might still show up later on.) **


	5. Chapter 5

A/N - Don't kill me? I am SO sorry - I didn't mean for this story to go so long without an update, but my muse apparently went on holiday. Thankfully, he's back, and with any luck, there won't be such a long dry spell again. I'm still not happy with it, I kind of hate the middle part, and it may be redone, but I couldn't put off getting this up any longer. Once again to my readers, I am sorry to leave you hanging. Now, on to see some reactions to lovely little Rune!

A/N2 – I know the timeline is a bit off. I had to nudge some timeframes in order for things to make sense. So currently, it is about a year after Meteor, and while Denzel _should_ be with Tifa and Cloud by now – he's not. Don't worry, I like Denzel, he'll be here eventually. In the same train of thought – when Cloud finds Denzel, he already has both Fenrir and Tsuragi. So, for the sake of the story, I've determined our blond has been a busy little ex-experiment and put them together first thing after Meteor. It never is mentioned where he gets them from, and let's face it – Fenrir's droolworthy.

* * *

Travelling with a baby was different than any trips Cloud had made up until this point. Ignoring the fact that he had lowered his speed from 'suicidal' to 'little old lady', he spent most of his time looking around him, paranoid about even the smallest, least dangerous monsters. Keeping a fire materia ready, most of the monsters that got within visual range were fried to a crisp before they even had a chance to run from the noise of Fenrir. Rune slept most of the time, except for when he was hungry or dirty, which was a relief at least, even if he did have to stop at least once every couple of hours for a bottle or a diaper change. Cloud had been worried that the roar of the engine would keep him awake or make him cry, but apparently all the small trips around town had gotten his son used to it. Still, the times that they travelled through safe areas, Rune cradled against his chest, were among the most peaceful times of his life.

The biggest difference was definitely in the towns. Before, he would get suspicious or untrusting looks from most of the people he encountered, because of his glowing eyes and giant sword. Even if he had never actually been in SOLDIER, his whole looked screamed it. Most people were still distrustful of Shinra and Mako in general. But with a baby, it seemed he earned instant trust. Personally, he found that a bit ridiculous and unsafe on their parts – the assumption that he wasn't dangerous because he had an infant was a risky one to make, even if in his case it was true.

Well, he _was_ dangerous, just not to villagers or anything other than monsters and members off Shinra. Unless, of course, they attempted to hurt Rune. Then he'd rip them apart. He had realized, months ago, before his son had even been born, how fiercely protective he was of his offspring. The thought of what Hojo had planned had the experiment worked while he was still in the labs had made him want to go revive the scientist and kill him a couple hundred more times. Once Rune was born, it just got worse. Cloud found himself reaching for Tsuragi if someone so much as looked at his son the wrong way. Reeve and Nanaki had both pointed it out to him, and he'd grudgingly stopped giving villagers death-glares.

Cloud had to admit, grudgingly, that he rather enjoyed it, once he had calmed down and forced himself to accept the fact that not everyone was out to get his son. Not the attention on himself, but he felt a rather absurd sense of pride when complete strangers commented on how cute or adorable Rune was, and he couldn't help the small smiles that crept onto his face when the villagers were fussing over his son. He still kept one hand within easy reach of his sword, however.

It took a lot more time than he was expecting to get to Costa del Sol, with the extra stops and the curious villagers, but he enjoyed the trip more than any other he had been on. As worried as he was about the reception once he returned to Edge, this was the least traumatic trip he had made. The first, when he was fourteen to join Shinra, was stressful because of the monsters he had to avoid, trying to earn and save enough money for both the boat fare and meals on his trip, and the fear of being rejected once he arrived (which he had been; but that was besides the point). He didn't really count the missions he had been on with Shinra, although they had been demanding in their own right, but they were quick, usually via helicopter. The second trip from Nibelheim to Midgar he couldn't remember, and then of course there was the mad hunt across the planet chasing after Sephiroth. His return trip to Nibelheim had been a bit better – but he had still been worried about the future, about the pregnancy, and about the nightmares he was afraid were lurking for him in that ill-fated town.

Yes, this trip was definitely the best out of the ones he'd been on. It was a shame it was nearly over; just the boat crossing to the eastern continent and then a short two day drive to the fledging city. It had probably grown quite a bit by now; Reeve had kept him mostly up to date when he had visited, or told him what was going on through Cait Sith, but it wasn't the same as seeing it himself.

Cloud stared at the receding coast line, lost in his own thoughts, and enjoying the simple pleasure of holding his son. If his past had taught him anything, it was that this peace probably wouldn't last long. For once, Cloud was determined to enjoy it while it lasted.

* * *

"Mr. Tuesti? Mr. Strife is here to see you."

Cloud nodded at the secretary – a much more professional one than her predecessor, and into the President's plush new office. It had been impressive to see how far along the new headquarters were in just the few months since he'd been gone. The WRO soldier that had escorted him had pointed out the different areas as they walked, and though it was slightly disturbing to see the similarities between Shinra and the WRO, he knew there were enough differences between the previous Shinra president and Reeve. There was also the fact that most of the departments – with the noticeable exception of the science department – were members of AVALANCHE.

"Cloud! Good to see you!" Reeve, thankfully without his feline counterpart, was seated at his desk, but promptly got up to great his friend. "And how's Rune? My, he's gotten so big! It really is amazing to see how quickly they grow at this age. I know with my sister's kids, every time I saw them they seem to have doubled." The executive grinned sadly and sighed. "I imagine with the amount of work that still needs to be done, it will be the same with him."

Cloud smiled softly as he watched the older man interact with his son. "Well, I would hope you could make some time for your godson."

Dark eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Godson? Cloud..."

The blond shrugged, suddenly self-conscious. "If it wasn't for you, he either wouldn't have...well. Or everyone would have found out what a freak I am. I owe you a lot – and this seemed fitting."

Reeve was surprised at the unusually verbose answer, but was grateful for what the blond had offered. Fatherhood seemed to have done Cloud some good at least. He studied the boy – his godson! – taking in all the changes over the last couple of months. The hair had darkened a bit – thankfully – and the pupils were slightly slanted, but only really noticeable if you were looking. There was only one other person who was likely to notice.

"Vincent will notice his eyes."

Cloud nodded, shrugged. "I plan on telling him the truth about that at least. Vincent was a Turk; I won't be able to keep it from him. But I don't think we have to worry about him blaming Rune for the sins of his father."

The executive snorted. "No, that we definitely don't. He glanced down at the boy in his arms. "Though, it does make me wonder..."

"Wonder what?"

Glancing up, he noticed Cloud's clueless face. "Well, don't you ever think it's a bit strange how much Hojo hated Vincent? And the story he told us about Lucrecia – Sephiroth's real mother? Besides, the 'good doctor' didn't really bear any resemblance to the General."

Cloud raised an eyebrow. "You think Vincent is – was – Sephiroth's real father?"

Reeve shrugged. "It makes sense in a rather macabre way. Hojo found out that the child wasn't his. He decided to use it – and his 'traitorous' wife – by using them in Project J. Vincent is experimented on and then left in a coffin to stew over the fact that he wasn't able to save his lover and the child that may or may not have been his."

Grimacing, the blond nodded. "It sounds like something he would do. But really, why does it matter now, except to serve as more guilt for Vincent?"

"Nothing, not now. It would have been nice, if it were true, to tell him about Rune, to give him family, but..." Reeve sighed as he realized the truth. Even if it was the case, it could only hurt everyone involved.

He was able to play with the infant a while longer before his secretary reminded him of a meeting with Barrett on the possible oilfield he had found, and the blond left, with a promise to try to stop by at least once a week.

He did, however, find a minute to send the soft, nearly transparent hair down to the lab.

* * *

Tifa thought she was hearing things when she heard the unexpected but welcome roar of Fenrir's engine. The bar was closed, and Marlene was at school, so the place was nearly empty. Yuffie was there, and Nanaki, listening to the Wutain's gossip about Reeve's newest accomplishments with the WRO. Both of them looked up at the same time she did, and Yuffie squealed with excitement and headed for the door.

They didn't have long to wait before the blond entered, but both women stopped short at the sight that greeted them. Cloud didn't look any different, physically, but he looked nervous, and like he wanted to hide what he was carrying. It reminded the brunet of the boy she had known years ago, when he had brought a stray wolf pup home. She – and the rest of the town – had heard Ms Strife's vehement arguing against it; but the pup had still followed Cloud around for several years, before finding a mate and disappearing into the Nibel Mountains.

She only hoped he hadn't done anything similar now– there was no _way_ she was cleaning up after muddy paw prints in her bar.

"Hi guys. This is Rune. He doesn't have a mother, and his father is dead. So I'm going to take care of him."

Tifa blinked in shock at the pale blond hair and sleepy blue eyes that greeted her. Now she was wishing it _was_ a wolf pup. Though she had to admit the little boy was adorable. She really wasn't surprised at the declaration, stated to simply, as if it was the easiest and most obvious thing in the world.

"Cloud...babies are a lot of work. I know we've taken care of Marlene for Barrett, but she's five, and we only watch her when her father's not here."

Cloud frowned, nodding. "I know Tifa. I've been taking care of him so far. We've just come from the Western Continent without any problems. I can manage."

The brunet raised a sceptical brow. "You've been taking care of a baby?" The unspoken '_when you can't take care of yourself?_' was obvious, and Cloud at least had the good grace to look a little sheepish. "Are you sure there aren't any family members that can take him?"

Shaking his head, the swordsman raised pleading eyes to his childhood friend. "No, he's got no one but me. Tifa, I want to do this. I _need_ to do this."

She signed. Tifa knew she'd cave; the combination of the puppy dog eyes Cloud was giving her, coupled with the fact that the boy _didn't_ have anywhere to go, would make sure of that. Still, she wanted to be bitter over the fact that he'd never be holding _their_ child like that. Just because she knew, logically, they were better off as friends didn't mean that she didn't miss the picture of the future she had had in mind.

"Why do you 'need' to do this?"

Cloud looked shocked at Tifa's harsh tone, and even Yuffie and Nanaki looked surprised. The blond didn't know how to answer her – even not being able to say that Rune was his, he had never been good at expressing himself. While he didn't need Tifa's approval, he did want her support. Surprisingly, it was Yuffie who came to his rescue. The petite girl had ignored the conversation until then, giggling and making faces at the baby, but she drew her attention away at Tifa's question. She glared at the other woman, hands on her hips.

"Tifa! If Cloud wants to do this, we should let him. It's obviously something he wants to do, and it's not like any new parent knows what they're doing. Besides," her voice dropped and both of them were surprised at how serious and sad she sounded, "there are too many orphans already, and no one to take care of them."

The blond gave Yuffie a small smile as thanks. The support had been unexpected but appreciated. "Thanks Yuffie. Tifa, I know you're mad, and I know you think it's a bad idea. But I'd really like Rune's Aunt Tifa to be there for him as well."

Damn the boy for knowing exactly what to say. Rolling her eyes, she reached out to take the boy and get a better look at him. Sleepy blue eyes opened, and he wriggled a bit in the unfamiliar hold. A reluctant grin lit her face, and she understood why Cloud had decided to take care of him. "So what happened to his parents?"

"His father died. I...he doesn't have a mother." Tifa raised a sceptical eyebrow at his vague and decidedly evasive response. She wanted to push it but...she sighed. He wouldn't tell her. Cloud wasn't the type to open up to anyone, and even though they had told Avalanche they were 'childhood friends' – they really weren't anything of the sort. They had just _known_ each other since then. He had no reason to trust her with something he was clearly unwilling to talk about. Perhaps if Aerith had lived, he would have eventually opened up to her. Tifa squashed the thought that intruded that she was almost glad she didn't have to witness that. As much as she genuinely loved and missed the flower girl – seeing them have the relationship she had once desired with the blond would have been unbearable.

But the little one that was currently pulling on the end of her ponytail wasn't to blame for any of that. Cloud had enough stubbornness in him to take care of the child just because she said he couldn't.

"Whaaaat! You got the monster that killed his father, didn't you?" Tifa barely flinched at the ninja's wail, but silvery-blond eyebrows furrowed, and the brunet quickly moved to relax the infant before he could start crying. Both her and Cloud shot Yuffie a glare, but she didn't miss the flinch when Yuffie asked about the father. It must have been bad. Perhaps someone he had known in Shinra? It could be the reason he was reluctant to give any names, or search for family. Actually, given the blond hair, the boy could actually _be_ a Shinra. It would explain why Cloud was so anxious to keep his parentage a secret; the Shinra name was still hated, and she wasn't sure how Rufus - who was still 'dead' to most of the world - would feel about an illegitimate son showing up.

"I said he died, not that he was murdered." That seemed to mollify Yuffie, if nor Tifa, but she would save her interrogation. Knowing the blond, he'd just leave and hide if she pushed. Much better to be subtle about it and squeeze information out of him without him noticing. Perhaps she'd get Vincent involved.

Sighing, she handed the boy back to his adoptive father. "Well, I'm sure you're hungry. I'll make you some dinner, and you can tell us what you've been doing for the past few months, and fill you in on what's going on around here."

Cloud gave his typical half smile and nodded. 'Thanks Teef, that sounds great." He sat down, and Nanaki finally padded over now that the fireworks were over. Not that she could blame him for wanting to stay out of their business. As Tifa prepared a snack, Yuffie filled him in on what he had missed; the new WRO headquarters, the status on the survivors and Edge, and the new energy source that Barrett had found. Nanaki added his own information every once in a while, from his travels around, while entertaining Rune by flicking his fiery tail in front of the boy's face. Tifa had been worried about that, but Cloud waved off her concerns, saying that the feline knew what he was doing. With one last doubtful look, she turned back to her meal. Cloud had gotten far too skinny again – he had finally managed to gain some weight before he left, but apparently traipsing around the Planet had taken it right back off. She grinned to herself as he put a plate in front of him – now she could see the reason behind his weight loss. The blond ate mechanically, paying far more attention to the infant. Perhaps she had been wrong; it might be that being a parental figure to the boy was exactly what Cloud needed.

* * *

Stifling a grin – something he found himself having to do more and more since Rune entered his life – Cloud forced himself to tear his gaze away from his son. Yuffie was playing with him now, and apparently getting him just as obsessed with Materia as she was. Sure, it was just the pretty colours that caught his attention now, but knowing the newly dubbed "Aunt Yuffie" (or Oba-chan as she wanted the boy to call her. He didn't have the heart to tell her that Rune wouldn't be calling anyone anything for several more months yet) she would have him chasing after them as well once he grew up.

But he had to speak to Tifa. Privately; it wasn't something he wanted to become public knowledge, and as good as Yuffie was at espionage, she was horrible at keeping secrets.

"Tifa...could I talk to you?"

The other two only glanced up then went back to the baby, pretending to have not noticed. The blond was grateful for that at least. They walked into the kitchen, and Cloud started fidgeting. He had tried to plot out in his head what he would say, but now that he had to say it – the words wouldn't come.

"What's wrong Cloud?"

The softly spoken words jerked him out of his contemplation, and he took a deep breath before beginning. "Teef, you know that Reeve had given Vincent and I the files Shinra had on us, right?" At her confused nod, he continued. "Well, one of the things I did the last few months was look through those. I'm not trying to make excuses, but, well..." he trailed off, not wanting to say the next words. He opened his eyes - that he hadn't even realized he'd closed - and looked down into Tifa's concerned gaze. "We could never have had kids Tifa. I'm...what Hojo did, I can't..."

She cut him off with a hand on his arm, before pulling him into a hug. He stiffened; then relaxed into the embrace, accepting it for what it was. It had been a hard thing to accept when he read it, even knowing he did have another option, if he was willing to go through that again, but telling Tifa just made it more real.

"I'm so sorry Cloud. That man got off far too easy."

Cloud had to agree with that, but there wasn't really anything left to say. He pulled away, uncomfortable being comforted by the brunette when his intent had been to ease her pain.

"Come on; let's go back out there before Yuffie corrupts the poor boy."

Tifa laughed; the sound more honest than he had heard in a long time. There was still some sadness in her eyes, but he was sure it would fade in time.

* * *

Cloud collapsed into the bed in Seventh Heaven. It had been a very long day, but worth it. Tifa still seemed hesitant, and every once in a while she would get a look in her eyes that he knew was her thinking of what might have been. He knew she still wasn't as over him as she claimed, but there wasn't anything more he could do. To be honest, he hadn't been sure – and still wasn't sure – if their talk had helped or hurt, but it was something he felt he had to tell her, to stifle at least one of her 'what-if's'.

It would be so easy, and so tempting, to just fall into the perfect little happy family, but it would be a lie. And he had lived a lie far too long.

But...wasn't that what he was doing now? If he wanted to be honest, he would tell his friends the truth and claim Rune as his own. By not, he was forcing his son to live a lie.

He lay awake, even as tired as his body was, thinking over the implications of his actions – or lack thereof. Getting up, he walked over to the hastily-erected crib, and stared down at his sleeping son. If he didn't say anything – Rune's real heritage would remain a mystery to everyone except himself (and Rune, once he was old enough). Or he could keep it even from Rune, and let the boy see him as his father, either real or adoptive.

_That_ train of thought he stopped right there. It was lack of _real_ knowledge about his parentage that drove Sephiroth insane. It may be for different reasons, but he would be doing the same exact thing Hojo did, and that wasn't even worth contemplating. No, regardless of what everyone else in the world thought, Rune would know the truth as soon as he was old enough to understand.

But that still left the decision of his friends. The Tifa he had known in Nibelheim, the princess, would have never accepted it, labelling him a freak and shunning him. Now, though, the mature woman would stand by him no matter what. She even supported his lies and his false personality, when she knew it was wrong. However...telling her the truth would mean that he would have to explain how – and more importantly when – it had happened. No matter that it had been _Sephiroth_ and even if she had tried to stop him, he could have easily knocked her aside, without anyone else there.

Cid and Barrett he didn't even want to contemplate. They would both condemn it as unnatural and want nothing to do with him or his son. And they could do more harm if they wanted to – although he thought (or hoped) that their mutual experiences would mean enough to them that they wouldn't betray him like that.

Yuffie...would probably treat him no differently. But her ability to keep that knowledge to herself was suspect. It wasn't that she would let it out on purpose, but she was loud, and she would see no reason why everyone in there group shouldn't know.

And Vincent he had already determined to tell. The former Turk would need to be told about Rune's father, and Cloud wouldn't put it past him to figure out the truth just from that bit of information. Easier just to tell him and get it over with. Out of everyone, even Reeve and Nanaki, he figured Vincent to react the best. They both had to most experience with Shinra and Hojo, and since the man could transform into one of the Planet's WEAPONs, the fact that he had been pregnant wouldn't even rate a raised eyebrow. The other experiment might also have some insight on who and how much to tell his secret to.

Of course, telling Vincent depended on _finding_ Vincent; a difficult task at the best of times.

His mind calmer, now that he had a tentative plan of action, he walked back to his own bed. With the exhaustion no longer held at bay, and the instinctive knowledge that he was in a safe place, sleep came quickly.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N – If there are any places where I mix up Reno and Rune, please let me know – the names are just too damn close! Whoops! And on a random note – apparently Word 2007 does not recognize 'pauldron' as a real word. Just because no one wears them anymore (well, except for cons) doesn't mean it's not a word!

**Please read** and vote in my poll. I have a few different ways this next part of the story could go, and I want your opinions. Please vote in my poll and let me know what you'd like to see.

Rant: This was supposed to be out last weekend. I was on the editing stage, everything was written, when I a) lost internet and then b) had my boiler break. Internet is obviously back...my boiler is not. I freaking hate dealing with insurance companies.

* * *

Cloud swung his leg back over Fenrir; glad to be heading home. He liked being back at work, but he missed Rune while he was out. At least he was his own boss, and could make sure there was no reason to leave his son overnight. Maybe in the future, when the boy was a bit older, he'd start his deliveries to the other continents again, but for now, he'd stick to Edge and Kalm, and the areas in between. The WRO and Reeve gave him more than enough work to keep him busy anyway.

The trip back was quick, and he was greeted by Yuffie and Marlene. Tifa had had to open the bar, so she was downstairs, and Yuffie (with Marlene's eager help) was watching over Rune. Cloud had been very hesitant about leaving the Wutaian in charge at first, but she surprisingly made a good babysitter. And Marlene was a great assistant – running around for bottles or diapers when needed.

"Oh, look Rune, is that da-da?" The Wutaian was making faces at the child again, and Rune was laughing, apparently as content with her as with his father. Cloud felt a twinge of jealousy, but pushed it down. It's not like he could keep his son all to himself, and it would seem strange for him to be too attached. So he just calmly held his arms out, and Yuffie gently handed Rune over. He squealed happily and reached for the wolf on his pauldron, a favourite grabbing thing currently. The ring was a bit heavy, but his small hands would still try to wrap around it.

"Was he okay for you today?" The boy was starting to get more mobile, and with his increased movement, his nervousness at leaving him behind rose. Thankfully Yuffie had more than enough energy to keep up with him.

"Of course silly! He's always a doll. Poor little guy will cry for you at first, but Marlene and I find ways to distract him easily enough."

Cloud couldn't see that being too hard – the rooms above the bar had been baby-proofed in his first days back, and between himself and the two women there were toys and baby supplies scattered all over. The first few nights, if he had to get up to tend to Rune, he had found himself sprawled on the floor after tripping over something of his son's. At least it had been in his own room so no one saw him fall.

With Rune safely in hand, he decided to go downstairs for some dinner. Tifa would yell about him bringing the baby into the bar area; but he was hungry, and it wouldn't be that crowded yet. Besides, it would be about time for Rune's dinner, and he could heat up Rune's bottle while Tifa was making his own dinner.

When he entered the bar, however, he almost turned and went back upstairs. Reno and Rude were sitting at the bar; Reno attempting to steal bottles of beer, and Rude pulling him back into his seat by his ponytail. Tifa was ignoring both of them; apparently counting on the bald Turk to keep his partner in line. Cloud would have left, except that he knew it would just make things worse. They were Turks; trained for espionage. It wasn't like he could keep his son hidden from them forever, and if he _tried_ that would get them curious. A curious Turk was never a good thing – he'd actually prefer a curious Yuffie to that.

Both men glanced up and then went back to their drinks. Cloud waited patiently for realization to set in, and he didn't have to wait long before – predictably – Reno spun back around, eyebrows raised.

"Yo, Cloud, where'd the kid come from?" Reno was half out of the chair, looking like he wanted to get closer, but understandably wary about the sword strapped to Cloud's back. Rude was calm, but behind the shades it was impossible to figure out what he was thinking.

"I've decided to take care of him. He doesn't have anyone else."

Reno scoffed at that, apparently unconcerned about the orphan problem, but that hair _was_ distinctive, and Yuffie had told him about the random help and supplies the kids in Edge were getting. "So what, you thought you'd disappear for a few months and turn back up with some kid to raise? What'd Tifa think about that? She happy playing mom?"

Rude elbowed his partner sharply, but the redhead shrugged it off. Then again, he was probably used to the other man's attempts to shut him up.

"No, I'm not expecting her to 'play mom' - she just watches him occasionally when I have deliveries." He was annoyed; it was not the Turks business what happened between himself and Tifa. Still, at least he was focused on that, rather than Rune's parentage. What was the saying? 'Don't look a gift chocobo in the mouth?' That certainly applied here. If there was one person, or group, that he didn't want knowing any of the truth, it was Rufus and the Turks. They would find some way to exploit him or his son, and that wasn't something he was willing to tolerate. The pair should consider themselves lucky he didn't kick them out of the bar.

Unfortunately, it was Tifa's bar, and she didn't seem to care they were there. And they _had_ been helpful with evacuating Midgar and helping build Edge. There were also Reeve's hints that the WRO funding came from Rufus. So he would grudgingly deal with them being there and asking intrusive questions.

"Huh. Well, then...I suppose as long as she doesn't have a problem with it, then we don't either. Right Rude?" Cloud couldn't really tell past the shades, but if he had to guess, it looked like Rude was...blushing? Well, at least that explained both their presence _and_ why Tifa hadn't kicked them out.

Thankfully, before he was forced to respond, or worse, make small talk with them (or more accurately, listen to Reno's attempts at conversation) Tifa noticed he had come in. Or she finally decided to rescue him. "Cloud! You're back. I guess you boys are hungry?"

"Sure Teef – what's okay for me to take?"

"Hmm, there are some leftovers from the Costan we had for lunch, or you can grab some of the wings I have for tonight."

Cloud eagerly went back into the kitchen, sitting Rune into the child seat they had bought for him. He started the water for Rune's meal while he searched for the wings Tifa mentioned. Soon enough they were both fed, and Rune's eyes started to drift closed. Cloud slipped out the back and up the stairs, since the bar was starting to get crowded. He put the boy down, and waited a few minutes, just watching him as he drifted off to sleep. The blond would have loved to linger and just watch Rune, but even if Tifa trusted the Turks in her bar, he wasn't sure he did, so he headed back down.

In the short hour he'd been taking care of Rune the bar had filled up quite a bit. It was much more popular than the original; partially because it was no longer in the slums, part because of Tifa, but mostly because the 'heroes' frequented it. Some people wanted to get to know them; others just liked it for the protection it offered. At least most of their customers had gotten used to the fact that he simply didn't talk. He nodded a greeting at a few of the ones he recognized, and slipped behind the bar to get himself a beer.

"While you're back there, feel like grabbing one for me too?" Cloud ignored the redhead and took a few long gulps. He had missed Tifa's brew while he was gone. Not that he could have had any beer due to his condition anyway, but still.

"You're a cruel man Strife. Makin' a man go thirsty. "Cloud wasn't sure, but he thought that there was a hint of a smile on Rude's face. Perhaps that was why the bald man put up with his partner for so long – amusement value.

"Hey sweet cheeks, me'n Rude are dyin' down here, and your ex won't give us anything to drink!"

There was a distinct crack as Cloud gripped his glass too hard, and he glared at the Turk. "Why are you even here?"

"What do you mean, Cloudy? We're just here to have a drink and appreciate the decor." Reno leered at Tifa, then gave the blond a once over as well. Cloud had to remind himself that they were no longer precisely enemies, and Tifa would probably not appreciate him making a mess of the bar.

"No, seriously, we're just here for a drink. Rude, tell him!" Rude glanced over at him – or at least Cloud thought he had, since the shades were still on – and nodded. The blond realized where the taller man had been looking, and sighed. It was a shame that where one went, the partner followed. If only Rude had been there, he'd be fine with it. Reno was just so...Reno.

"Whatever. Just behave." Cloud poured himself another drink – in a new glass – and retreated to his normal table. As an afterthought, he poured a glass for Rude as well, leaving Reno to splutter about unfairness and injustice, and other words he was fairly sure weren't normally in a Turk's vocabulary. He would have liked to go back upstairs, but he couldn't bring himself to leave the Turks – or more accurately Reno – alone in the bar with only Tifa working. Not that he doubted Tifa's ability to keep them under control, but she was still only one person, and the place could get very crowded.

Thankfully, other than being his obnoxious self, and flirting with anything that moved – mostly Tifa – he didn't cause any problems. Rude was actually nice to have around; he was quiet, and polite, and even helped the two clean up after the bar closed. There was also the very entertaining sight of the taller man dragging a pretty drunk Reno out by his ponytail.

Cloud sighed as he sat back down once the clean up was over. "So, how long have the Turks been loitering around here?"

Tifa shrugged. "Not too long after you left. They're really not that bad, actually."

The blond raised a sceptical eyebrow. "You mean Rude's not that bad. Reno is a walking disaster."

Laughing, she nodded. "Well, yea, but he's an amusing walking disaster. And he really doesn't cause too much harm. A few broken glasses mostly; and there was one fight, but to be fair, he didn't start it."

"A fight?" Cloud couldn't stop his protective urges, sitting up in the chair and meeting's Tifa's gaze. "Was everything okay?"

"Yes, worry wart, everything was fine. It wasn't a regular, just someone who had come specifically looking for him - for the 'bastard that had dropped the plate.'"

Cloud grimaced. To be fair, that was one of the things he had a hard time forgiving the Turks for. Well, that and kidnapping Aerith, but he knew now that Tseng had done – in his own way – his best to try and protect her.

"I'd never seen him like that before Cloud. After Rude and I had kicked the guy out, he just sat there, with his beer, not drinking and staring into space. When I said something to him, he seemed to bounce back to his normal self, scoffing at the fact that the guy had thought he could lay a hand on a Turk, but..." Tifa trailed off, shaking her head. "Vincent is – was – a Turk, and he has regrets. Perhaps it's not so crazy to think that Reno and the rest might as well?"

"They knew what they were signing up for." Even as he said it, the words rang hollow. Sure, they had to expect to end up with some innocent blood on their hands – even SOLDIER would have to expect and deal with that, and AVALANCHE had caused their fair share of deaths – but there was a difference between a few civilians killed or murdered and the utter destruction of an entire section of a city. Thousands upon thousands of lives destroyed, simply to motivate the public to hate AVALANCHE.

Tifa seemed to sense his less than sincere sentiment, because she simply gave him a Look. "Perhaps we can try to be a little nicer to him?"

Cloud nodded agreement. He might never like the redhead, but he could make an effort to at least be friendlier. "I'll try Teef. But I think I'm heading upstairs now - it's far too late for this sort of conversation."

The brunette grinned. "Yes well, days are long when you're a dad. Have a good night Cloud."

He gave her a quick hug before disappearing back upstairs. With any luck, he'd get a few decent hours of sleep in before Rune woke up.

* * *

Dr. Myaki handed the giggling baby back to his father. Cloud took him with a silent sigh of relief. He _did_ trust the doctor – as much as he would trust any doctor anyway –but he knew that there had to be some desire to find out how being the child of two men would affect Rune's development. At least this way, but putting the older man in charge of his son's health, he could fulfil that urge without causing any harm to the boy. The fact that Myaki could now see the sword he had threatened him with the first time they had met might help as well.

"First of all, he is in perfect health. A very happy little boy, too. However, he does appear to be maturing faster than a typical child. I imagine that this is due to the mix of Mako and Jenova cells; if it is alright with you, I'd like to look over the files on Sephiroth's childhood to see if there are any similarities. It could give us a better idea of what to expect. Right now we can assume that he will only experience an accelerated growth rate, but there is no knowing what we could encounter. It could be something that reveals his parentage; I'm assuming you haven't changed your mind on that?"

Cloud nodded, mind whirling. He had to assume that it wouldn't be anything overly dangerous to Rune; after all, Sephiroth had survived to adulthood. The blond wondered if his son would manifest a wing eventually, but pushed the thought aside. He had enough problems without making them up as well.

"Thanks Doctor. I'll ask Reeve to send you copies of anything he has that might help. How obvious is it going to be that he's developing faster than normal?"

"Oh, not very, I'd imagine. The most drastic, I'd imagine, would be the first five years or so, but it won't be so extreme that anyone other than a paediatrician would notice. "

The blond sighed in relief. It would have been hard to explain if Rune suddenly looked like a two year old when he wasn't even one.

"Anyway, if you can get those papers to me in the next couple of weeks, I should have a better idea when you visit next."

"That sounds great. I'll see you in three months then." Cloud was strictly following the guideline that Dr. Myaki had given him for checkups; it was unlikely Rune would get sick, but it still made the blond feel better.

Leaving the doctor's office, Cloud secured Rune into the carrier. He had one more stop he wanted to make before returning to Seventh Heaven.

* * *

Fenrir pulled up outside of the church in the old sector five slums. Even with most of the city in shambles, the church still stood – even if it was a bit worse for the wear. The holes that he and Zack had made falling into it were gone, simply because most of the roof was gone. Nearly a whole wall was gone, and sunlight shone on the flowers Aerith had once cared for. It seemed unbelievable it was less than two years since she had last been there. Cloud was nervous, though logically he knew that was ridiculous. If Zack and Aerith really were watching over him, then they already knew what had happened, and if they weren't, well, he was just going into an abandoned building and talking to himself. It wouldn't be the craziest thing he'd done.

Sitting Rune – who at eight months was getting quite big – more comfortably on his hip, he pushed open the heavy doors to the church. Immediately the peaceful atmosphere of the church calmed him, and he couldn't help the small smile that came to his face. It was bittersweet to be here; he could almost see Aerith tending to her flowers, with Zack watching over her. Of course, he had never seen the two of them together, but he knew both of them so well that he could easily imagine the scene in his mind. He walked up between the pews, wanting to be as close to the flowers as possible.

_Hey little guy! _Cloud yelled – he did _not_ shriek – and fell backwards, arms curling around his son protectively. He heard laughter – sounds he hadn't heard in far too long. Aerith's cheerful giggle and Zack's deep chuckles broke the silence in the church.

_No, don't worry, you're not losing it. We're really here. Well...sort of. _The images he thought were his imagination moved, as his long-dead friends came closer. Zack squatted down in front of where Cloud had fallen, reaching out an incorporeal hand towards Rune. The boy giggled, trying to grab at Zack's finger. Cloud stared in shock; but at least if Rune could see them, that meant _he_ wasn't going insane. Or so he hoped. It still didn't explain why _either_ of them could see the two, however.

Aerith came to 'sit' next to him. _It's because of the Mako, silly. You have it, and Rune has it from both his fathers. _

"You...know?" He looked between the two of them, worry etched on his face, but neither looked like they were disgusted by him; just sad.

Zack was the one who responded; guilt and regret written over his features. _Yea, we know. I'm so sorry Cloud; I didn't do a very good job of protecting you, did I? _

"Did you know what Hojo had done to me before...before?" Cloud couldn't quite bring himself to say 'before you died.' It still seemed surreal to be sitting here talking to the two of them.

Zack nodded, grimacing. _Yea, I knew. He tried it on me, too. But apparently the same reason my body rejected the Jenova cells was the same reason my body rejected anything _extra_ he tried to add. I suppose I should be grateful – I think he was working on tentacles at one point. _The apparition shuddered slightly before continuing. _I just had too much Mako; my body kept healing itself before he could graft anything in. If I didn't already have that much Mako..._ the second half of the sentence hung between them. So many 'what ifs' that could never be answered.

"Zack..." Cloud shook his head. "You protected me with your _life._ Literally. I don't...there's no way I could repay that. How can I blame you for something you had no way of controlling?"

_Still..._he shook his head, dejected. Cloud hated seeing him like that.

_You both need to stop blaming yourselves. You did everything you could, right? And at least something good came out of it. Rune is absolutely adorable. _Aerith grinned down at the little boy.

Cloud smiled, pleased that Aerith and Zack were both so accepting of his son. It was refreshing to be around people – even if they weren't corporeal – who knew his every secret and still didn't judge him.

_So you're going to try and keep his real parents a secret, huh? Do you think that will work? _Zack looked like he was simply concerned, but he was also fidgeting nervously, a sure sign that he knew something he wasn't supposed to tell Cloud.

_Zack. _Aerith lay a calming hand on Zack's arm, looking over at where Cloud sat with his son. _It's Cloud's choice, and he can tell them when he's ready. _

The blond frowned, hating the fact that they were clearly hiding something from him, but he trusted both of them enough to let it be for now. With the irrepressible cheerfulness that she had shown in life, Aerith moved back towards him, clearly wanting to be as close to Rune as she could when she couldn't actually hold him. _Anyway, enough talk about depressing topics and secrets. You need to tell us how it's been being a daddy!_

Zack came up next to them, flopping down – managing to do it even without a physical body – and wrapping an arm around Aerith's form. Cloud idly wondered if they were able to actually touch each other, or if they just pretended to for the comfort factor. It definitely wasn't something he was about to ask them though.

Cloud kept a close eye on Rune as they talked; the boy was crawling fairly fast now, and there was still a lot of rubble lying around. He kept trying to pull himself up by the pew seats, standing for a few minutes, and then falling back down. Zack couldn't help snickering at the pout on his face each time he fell. Rune looked over at the trio and pulled himself back up. The boy stood there for a moment, unsteadily, then moved slowly towards the end, before finally letting go and taking one step, and then another, towards the grinning brunet. Cloud held his breath as he watched Rune take his first steps, then darted forward as his son stumbled on his third step and fell forward.

_Was that his first step? _Zack was grinning looking absurdly excited, nearly bouncing in place. He had held out his arms to catch the boy, even though he logically knew he wouldn't have been able to catch him.

Cloud nodded, unable to stop smiling. Rune was already up and trying again.

Aerith giggled. _Stubborn, just like his daddy. _

The blond snorted, but knew it was true. He was ridiculously happy that this had happened here, with his two best friends, and people who he didn't have to hide just how proud he was of his son's accomplishment.

He left the church feeling better than he had in a long time, even if seeing his friends had been bittersweet. If he could have ignored the fact that two of the three adults were transparent, it would have felt almost normal – like things would have been if Nibelheim had never happened. As he walked towards his bike, he saw a boy standing there. Cloud frowned; it was probably one of the scavenger groups, and while he did feel sorry for them, he didn't particularly want to be missing pieces of his bike. Rune's safety came first after all. But as he watched, the boy swayed on his feet, and the blond barely had time to catch him as he collapsed.

Cloud looked at the boy – he couldn't be older than ten or eleven – and at Rune. With a sigh, he gently lowered the unconscious boy onto the ground, and reached for the PHS that he had dropped. Surprisingly, it was already connected, and he could hear Tifa's worried voice on the other side.

"Tifa?"

'Cloud? What happened? Who was that?'

"I'm...not sure. It's a kid – he needs help, but I can't get all of us back to Seventh Heaven on my own." Fenrir was big enough, but with the boy unconscious it wouldn't exactly be easy.

Tifa muttered into the phone about him being too soft-hearted for his own good and his 'hero-complex' acting up that only his enhanced hearing let him hear. He ignored it; she would have done the same thing. 'Are you planning on starting your own orphanage?'

"I'm not...!"

She cut him off before he could finish his denial. 'Of course not Cloud. You're going to bring him back here, feed him, and then send him back to try and survive on his own.' The sarcasm was heavy in her voice, and he rolled his eyes. Unfortunately she knew him too well.

"You know, he might still have family. Or someone. Maybe he just got lost or separated from them?"

An inelegant snort was his response. 'Riiight. Anyway, I'll come get you. You're at the church, right?'

Cloud was slightly embarrassed at how easy he was to predict, but nodded before he realized Tifa couldn't see that. "Yea."

'Alright, I'll be there soon. Bye Cloud.'

"Bye Teef." He hung up the phone, and dug through the compartments of his bike to find one of his spare blankets he had taken to carrying around for Rune, placing it under the boy's head. It was all he had, but they wouldn't be there long, and it was probably the most he'd had since Meteor anyway. Cloud sat down next to the unknown boy to wait for Tifa, leaning against Fenrir, and moving Rune to sit more comfortably in his lap. Cloud smiled ruefully at his son. "Well, looks like you might have just gotten a big brother."


	7. Chapter 7

A/N – The maps on British Airways always remind me of the FFVII map. I look at it and think 'hey, I could be on a gold chocobo'.

On a less random note, this was a difficult chapter to write because it's the Advent Children chapter. I am not going to write out all of the scenes from AC:C. If you've seen it, you know what happens. It is based on the Complete version, though, so if you haven't seen that one...why are you sitting here? Go watch the pretty! So this chap will be the...in between scenes, I suppose. It's also very short because it's kind of a filler/turning point chapter. Other than the presence of Rune, everything else stays canon. (Well, except for one thing that will be revealed next chapter. Yes, I am aware I'm evil. I will try not to take so much time to update again for fear of death threats.) I kind of hate it, but I just want to get this little hump in the road over with and on to more exciting stuff. I will probably edit it at some point, but for now, enjoy?

* * *

Cloud sighed as he tucked his PHS away. Just a few short days ago, he would have been grinning stupidly at the message Tifa had helped Rune leave for him. Now he just wanted to rage at the unfairness of it. He had not forgiven himself for Zack and Aerith's deaths, even if the two of them had, and it appeared that the Planet hadn't either. The blond had tried to reason it away as oil from Fenrir, then, after showering, a bruise that the Mako didn't bother to heal, but three days later and with the bruise getting larger instead of smaller Cloud was forced to acknowledge the truth.

He has Geostigma.

In a short time – all his calls to Reeve and Barrett had only shown that the life expectancy differed from person to person, but it was always, always fatal – he would be gone, leaving Rune alone. While he wasn't worried about what would happen to his son in the near future because Tifa would simply continue to take care of him as she had been with Denzel and Marlene, there were other things to worry about. Reeve knew the truth of Rune's heritage, but it didn't change the fact that the boy would be unavoidably different. There was already Mako and Jenova cells in his blood, he was growing faster than normal, and though it was slow enough to not be noticeable now, there was always a chance that would change, and it could be expected that his strength would continue to grow as well. With both Sephiroth's and his genes, there was no telling how strong he would get, or if their Mako enhanced abilities would even pass on. There was also the chance of other random surprises – Cloud had read all of Hojo's notes, but that didn't mean he knew everything that had been done to the two of them. But at least Cloud could have explained the boy's parentage and tried to help him cope. Once he was gone the only one who could even begin to help the boy understand his own body would be Vincent, and no one had seen the gunman since Meteor. The best option he could think of was to leave a note with Reeve to give to him if he hadn't managed to find Vincent before he died, but it didn't sit well with him. It left too much to chance. He really didn't mind the idea of dying all that much – he could be with Zack and Aerith – but abandoning his son was a completely different story.

Denzel too; true to Tifa's words they had taken the boy in. Even though the brunette was the one who took care of him the most, the boy clearly looked up to him. It was a bit unnerving, especially once they had seen the dark spot on Denzel's forehead. Tifa had known exactly what it was, even though Cloud hadn't seen a case so close up before. The two had had a debate over whether the boy should be allowed to remain near Marlene and Rune; Cloud hadn't wanted to kick the boy out, and he certainly wouldn't have ended up on the streets, but he couldn't help worrying about his son's safety first.

It had been Barrett, surprisingly enough, that ended the argument – he had been fine with the kid being around Marlene, and if the older man, with as protective as he was over his adopted daughter, was fine with it, Cloud had to believe there was no danger to his son. It was a good thing as well, since Marlene had taken to him immediately. He quickly became part of their rather dysfunctional family.

That was when he had first gone to Reeve to ask about cures, or even something to slow the deadly disease down. But there was nothing – the WRO had scientists working on it around the clock, but they had come up with nothing. More and more people were getting it, and the casualties were piling up. The worst hit seemed to be Edge, but the reason could have been the proximity to the Lifestream as it stopped Meteor, the Mako reactions (which was what most people believed) or just the fact that it had a higher population, so of course there would be more people who had gotten it. There were reports of it across the world, even in Wutai where there had never been a Mako reactor, so Cloud was more inclined to believe the latter.

But as Denzel had gotten worse, Cloud had started going on longer deliveries, leaving Rune with Tifa most of the time. Yuffie had gone back to Wutai to help with the outbreak there, so she was stuck in the bar most of the time watching over Denzel. The last few weeks had seen him too ill to even get out of bed. He felt bad leaving Tifa alone so much, but it bothered him to be there. The blond hated the fact that there was nothing he could do to help, and being near Denzel only threw his latest failure in his face.

With a sigh, he turned and headed in the direction of Edge. He wouldn't – couldn't – stay at Seventh Heaven. Not with Denzel, who looked up to him like a father, who he couldn't save, and his own son who he would abandon far too young. But he could at least be in the area in case they needed him; Aerith wouldn't mind him staying at the church.

* * *

Shoving past Reno, Cloud stomped back to Fenrir. He couldn't believe that Rufus was still sticking his nose where it didn't belong. Looking for signs of Sephiroth in the Northern Crater – what sort of idiot was he? The redhead's parting comment didn't bear thinking about either. Thankfully, Cloud doubted that Rufus had the ability to rebuild the company – or, if he did, there would be a lot more checks on what he could do. The people may have turned a blind eye on the excesses the former regime committed, but everyone was quite a bit more wary now. Having a giant burning rock nearly obliterate the world tended to do that. Meteor may have been Sephiroth's fault, but Cloud and the rest of AVALANCHE were more than okay with having Shinra take that blame. The former General was gone; Shinra could still do some harm. Besides, he couldn't see telling the public at large that the Silver General had come back from the dead after going insane, and had been working with an alien bent on world domination – it sounded too much like something out of one of Denzel's video games.

At least he found out the real reason behind Rufus' funding of the WRO and – more specifically – the research into finding a cure for the Geostigma. It was only self-preservation; not that he could blame him. Hell, he'd almost be willing to rejoin Shinra if they did find a cure, not that he thought that was likely. Of course, Rufus was quick to deny that Shinra held the blame for the disease, even if he was probably right. The man _did_ have a good point about the cause of Geostigma, but the thought of Sephiroth still being around, in any form, did not sit well with him.

There was also the fact that it was clear the President was hiding something. He wanted Cloud's protection, and there were three Sephiroth lookalikes running around looking for 'Mother'. The Turks had been to the Crater, and despite Rufus' declaration that they found nothing, they had clearly found _something_. Blond jokes aside, Cloud could put two and two together; Rufus had Jenova, or at least _part_ of Jenova. As much as he would rather punch the man than protect him, the fact that letting the mini-Sephiroths get their hands on any part of the Calamity would be disastrous meant he would have to suck it up and agree. But first, he was going home to make sure Tifa and the kids were alright. The comment of Sephiroth's legacy made his thoughts go directly to Rune, and he was worried that the boy's parentage had been found out, if not by Shinra, then by the Remnants who could possibly know what Sephiroth knew.

* * *

The kids had been gone when he returned, so he had gone to the church. Tifa had been knocked out, the church was in shambles – or more so – and the Turks of all people had been the ones to drag his and Tifa's unconscious bodies back to Seventh Heaven after he collapsed from yet another attack.

And it had been Reno and Rude who had found out where the kids had gone. Thankfully Tifa told him, once she woke up, that Reeve had agreed to watch Rune for the day, since Denzel had been feeling better and Tifa had wanted to get Marlene out for the day. A quick call had confirmed that Reeve was more than happy to continue to watch his godson until the danger had passed. The WRO headquarters were secure, at least as much as anyplace was, and Reeve understood the risks involved, since he knew Rune's connection to Sephiroth.

He had felt completely useless, and now he was on his way to fight the Remnants yet again, by himself, with Tifa's last dejected words to him echoing in his head. They _were_ a family, at least to him, even if it was an unconventional family, and it wasn't in the same way as Tifa wanted. But what he had told her was the truth – he couldn't save anyone, and the part that had remained unspoken was that he couldn't even save himself. Tifa knew now – she had guessed, though since she had been in the church he was sure that she had seen the blackened bandages.

Still, he wasn't dead yet, and perhaps he could prove he wasn't a complete failure by rescuing Marlene and Denzel, and the rest of the children taken. After that – well, perhaps it would be better for Rune if he _was_ gone. Tifa and Yuffie both adored him, and Reeve was a capable caretaker as well; it was like Rune would lack for caring adults to watch over him. Tifa wanted him to keep trying; he would have known that even if she hadn't said anything. But he wasn't sure he could anymore. It was frustrating that she seemed to think that just _trying _hard enough would cure them. Denzel was fighting it, but he just kept getting worse – it wouldn't be any different for him.

He would go, and fight; even if he really didn't like the place that the Remnants had chosen as a base. It made him wonder what – or who – else he would lose there.

* * *

The blond sat at the edge of the pool, trying not to think of how he had failed yet again. Seeing Denzel and the other children standing in the path with blank eyes, following the Remnant's orders blindly, had been a heavy blow. Kadaj's words had also confirmed that they knew about Rune – and that 'Mother' was mad at him for keeping her 'youngest son' away from her. Cloud had nearly lost it; he may have had no desire for Rune to call him mother, but he'd be damned before his son called that mutated creature 'Mother'. It had also caused Kadaj to win; if it hadn't been for the ex-Turk showing up, Kadaj could have killed him. At least he had found Vincent; or more accurately Vincent had found him, but now he wasn't sure where to start. The news the gunman had wasn't good either. He may not have been friends with the Turks, but they still didn't deserve torture. Even if Vincent was right in that they were mucking about where they didn't belong.

"So Jenova's cells are the cause." Cloud shook his head, thinking of all of the 'tinkering' Hojo had done, and just how much _stuff_ was probably floating around in his body. It was surprising he hadn't sprouted extra appendages, considering. "I suppose it was inevitable I got it then. Vincent...there is something I need you to do for me. How much have you read of Hojo's notes?"

"I read everything on the experiments done on myself, and anything that might be related to the stigma. As far as I can see, there is no cure Cloud."

The blond waited for a minute before responding. He hadn't had to actually explain this before. "So you didn't read anything of what was done to me."

Vincent shook his head. "I would not pry into the evils done to someone else."

Cloud sighed. He had really hoped that Vincent's Turk sensibilities would have taken precedence to his 'must-atone' mentality. "You know that after Sephiroth fell into the Lifestream at Nibelheim, Zack and I were taken by Hojo. From what I was able to read, his two goals were reunion and to create a 'new' Sephiroth. He decided to see if he could use Zack or me to accomplish either one. That failed, obviously."

The gunman nodded; but these were all things that he already knew. The next part would be the hardest.

"When that didn't work, he decided to try using Zack and I to try a second generation. That seemed to fail as well. But right before we defeated him, while I had Mako poisoning again...I found out it had worked. I have a son named Rune. His other father, as far as I can tell, is Sephiroth."

Vincent was silent for several long minutes, and Cloud wished he could see the man's face better. He had no way of knowing what Vincent was thinking. "Is he free of Jenova's influence?"

Cloud stared at the gunman, fear for his son's sanity racing through him. But there had been no signs of anything, and Reeve certainly would have said something if there had been in the last couple of days. If something like that was going to happen, now seemed the most likely time. Tifa wouldn't know the reason behind it, but he was sure she would notice if something was that off with Rune. "Yes, as far as I can tell, and Tifa watches over him when I can't; she would know the signs as well. But that is part of why I needed to tell you. If I won't be here – you are the only one left with an enhanced body, and the one most able to explain anything...odd...that might happen to him. The others don't know he's mine, except for Reeve, and he's not enhanced so he can only help so much if Rune has any questions about anything. I would also..." the blond paused, having a hard time even _thinking_ about what he had to say. But with Vincent's question now, and Rufus' comment the other day, he couldn't take any chances. "I would also want you to be the one to stop Jenova from using him. However you need to."

Vincent was silent for several long minutes, before he finally nodded. Cloud couldn't blame him; he had just laid a lot of responsibility on someone who simply wished to just be left alone. He wouldn't have asked if he felt there was a better option. "I will tell him what he needs to know, but Cloud, you must realize, with his heritage, the chances of your son getting Geostigma are quite high."

Cloud grimaced, the images of Rune's small body covered in the dark bruise-like marks of the fatal disease all too easy to see. He hoped that if the worst _did_ happen he would at least already be gone. Denzel was hard enough – the boy wasn't even his, but watching the disease ravage his small body was horrible. The thought of him having to watch his son suffer through it was unbearable.

A rustling caught both men's attention, though not before Cloud caught Vincent's gaze. The gunman gave a slight nod; enough confirmation for the blond that Rune would learn what he needed should the fight go badly, or if the Geostigma claimed him.

* * *

Cloud watched the images of his friends leave the church. He couldn't honestly deny that part of him had wanted to stay with them – to not have to worry about anything anymore. But as tempting as that peace was, the small boy squirming in Tifa's arms stopped him. His Geostigma was cured, and he had responsibilities to his son. Zack had given his life to save Cloud's, and Aerith had given her life to save the world. He knew they were still watching over him, and that they were happy, which would have to be enough. He wasn't sure if he'd be able to see them anymore, though he hoped so. Their meaning was clear; he had his life to live, and he couldn't let their sacrifices be in vain.

When he had realized his PHS was gone after Marlene had asked for it, and that he had no way of warning Reeve that the Remnants knew about Rune, he had raced back to Edge, almost glad to see them attacking the town rather than going after his son. It was a horrible thought, but probably something any parent would feel, so he pushed the guilt aside. Most likely, it was simply more important for them to find Jenova than his son; though he didn't doubt Jenova (or Sephiroth) would have gone after Rune had they succeeded in defeating him.

Sephiroth...seeing him again had been strange, and oddly cathartic. With his memories restored – and those of Zack's still floating around – he mourned the loss of who Sephiroth used to be, the General that he and Zack and both looked up to. That betrayal still cut deep, but after four years in Hojo's labs, and having read part of the files on what had been done to him as a child, he could somewhat understand what had led to the catastrophic breakdown. It would have still been nice if it could have happened somewhere other than his hometown though; not that he had particularly cared for anyone other than his mother and Tifa, but it had still been his _home._

No, he had known, to a point, that the man he had chased around the planet wasn't the same man that had been Zack's friend and his childhood hero. But now, with his head clear, it had been obvious. Even in Nibelheim, Sephiroth had been insane, enraged, and far more powerful than any other First (except possibly Genesis or Angeal, though he only had Zack's memories and stories to go by) but he was still, in the end, human. Extremely enhanced, but no more than what Cloud now was. What Sephiroth had become was the monster that Genesis had claimed him to be.

It made him nervous, knowing that his genes ran through Rune; but at the same time, both Zack and Aerith had accepted the boy without any problem; surely they would have warned him if there was a chance that Jenova would be able to influence his son. And now she was gone, completely, washed clean by Aerith's rain. As long as she was gone, Rune was safe – at least from his own mind. Cloud could handle the rest.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N - Thank you to my lovely new beta HappyDragon :) Any remaining errors are mine.

And of course, I still own nothing

* * *

Rufus wheeled himself into the room, not quite believing what his Turks had told him. Reno tended to exaggerate after all. When he had sent his Turks to the Northern Crater, all he had hoped to find was a clue to a cure for Geostigma, and truthfully, he had doubted there would be anything but monsters and Mako. Finding a piece of Jenova was unexpected, but as it led to a cure, in a roundabout way, he would have been happy with simply that. But as he got inside, he realized the redhead had been telling the absolute truth. What they had dug up out of the Northern Crater was, indeed, Sephiroth, or at least one of his clones. The man was still encased in Mako, but what shocked the president was the nearly healed wound that could have only been caused by the Buster sword.

"Tseng?" He finally looked away from the comatose man to gauge his head Turk's reaction. The man remained impassive, even though he still showed some of the evidence of his time with the Remnants. Rufus was quite impressed with them; even after that experience, they had gone straight back to retrieve the former General. Thankfully Strife hadn't gone up to investigate himself; knowing the other blond, he would have made sure that Sephiroth was completely destroyed. That would have been the smarter option, but the thought of having the Silver General back was too big of an opportunity to pass up. They would just have to be extremely careful.

"The scientists are still working on it sir, but all evidence points to this being, for lack of a better description, the 'original' Sephiroth. That would mean that the sightings two years ago and the newest appearance last week would have to have been clones. Or something similar."

Rufus nodded, the possibilities running through his mind. It seemed to make sense. The General had been physically unable to do anything, so he sent clones instead. How he had managed that was what was worrying – was he still somehow conscious, even though his body looked to be comatose? How quickly would he be able to create more clones? Or was that ability lost with the remains of Jenova? Then of course there were the questions of if the General would wake up. If he did, would he be the SOLDIER he had once been, or still hell bent on destroying everything?

What would be the best for the slowly recuperating company would be if they could revive the former General and have him take up his previous post. Few outside of Shinra and the former AVALANCHE knew of Sephiroth's role in Meteor; he wouldn't be any more feared than he had been in the past. However, the blond was aware of the odds against that – not only did that depend on the man being sane, but also convincing him to join a company that he had clearly despised at the end. Violent rampage or not, the man rightly held a grudge against Shinra. It would all be dependent on if Rufus could convince Sephiroth that he was not the same as his father. In all his plans for what he wanted to do with Shinra once he had taken it from his father, human experimentation had _not_ been on the list. Aside from the moral aspects of it, which he could easily ignore, there was the fact that those types of experiments had a very bloody history of turning on their tormentors. Still, it would be worth whatever concessions he'd have to make to get the man back on his side; he would simply have to be sure to have precautions in place just in case the man turned out to be a threat. It was also entirely likely that he had been controlling his clones, including the three Remnants, and would simply continue on his quest to destroy Gaia once he awoke.

"When he's awake again, let me know. Also, make sure that Rude is available to call Ms Lockhart in case things go badly. I'm sure that you will have any other precautions you feel necessary put in place."

Tseng's face remained impassive, giving the President no clue what the older man thought of the plan. "It should be within the week. I'll have you informed."

* * *

Cloud barely looked up as Rude and Reno entered the bar. Reno started flirting outrageously with Tifa as soon as he sat down, but Cloud ignored it as he knew it was all just a ruse to try and get Rude to do something. It was actually rather...cute...the way the stoic man refused to say anything to Tifa, even though everyone was aware of his crush on her. Everyone had ignored it at first, but lately Cloud had noticed that she would blush ever so slightly when the Turk actually spoke to her. It frankly relieved him, and regardless of their somewhat touchy past with the Turks, he knew Rude was a decent man; as decent as anyone associated with Shinra could be, anyway. Besides, Rude would have to be an idiot to ever do anything to hurt her – not only was she more than capable of defending herself, but if for whatever reason, she wasn't able to, he'd find the rest of AVALANCE out to get him.

The bigger surprise came when Tseng and Elena entered the bar after them. Tseng slapped the redhead after a particularly lewd comment, and he couldn't hold back a chuckle, which caused the Wutaian Turk to turn in his direction.

"Cloud. It is good to see you here. I had wanted to speak to you about something."

Cloud nodded and waved to the seat across from him, but Tseng shook his head. "It is something we should speak about in private."

With a sigh, Cloud stood up. It wouldn't be the first time Rufus had sent Tseng or one of the other Turks to try and recruit him back to Shinra; he really wished the President would get it through his thick skull that Cloud would never return to the company that had caused him so much pain. While it was true that Rufus truly was trying to change the way his company worked, it wasn't enough for him to get over his past and the horrors he had gone through. Tolerating the Turks was about as far as he was willing to go. Willingly walking back into the lion's den...no, he was more than happy with his delivery business.

They stepped into Cloud's small office, and the Turk closed the door behind him. Clearing his throat, Tseng started. "I am sure that the President mentioned this the last time you were at Healin, but just in case, I should let you know that Rufus requested the Turks watch the Northern Crater for any sort of activity. We have been doing this, periodically returning to make sure there are no further...disturbances. Both similar to what we saw last month or any further Weapons."

Cloud frowned, but nodded. He certainly couldn't blame Rufus for wanting to make sure no more Weapons came out; although he highly doubted they would, there simply wasn't a threat big enough for Gaia to call on them. They weren't exactly...discriminating in what they perceived as a threat, however. But he still wasn't sure whether the events with the Remnants were because Rufus had gotten his hands on Jenova's cells, or if it would have happened regardless. Shinra messing around up there could not be a good thing. Besides the fact that the other blond had originally claimed that he hadn't found anything, only to be blatantly caught in his lie. There was nothing stopping him from continuing to lie. As much as he didn't want to, Cloud grudgingly admitted he needed to go up there and see for himself what was there.

"Well, we hadn't found anything until this last trip. Before this, there was too great a risk of Mako poisoning to enter the crater itself, we just kept watch around it; mostly to make sure nothing emerged. The Mako levels had receded enough that Elena and I were actually able to go into the crater this time. You know we found part of Jenova, but that wasn't all we found, simply all that we could get out at that point. We also found...we found him. Sephiroth. The real one."

Stopping his automatic urge to go for his weapon, the blond forced himself to remain calm. Best to get all the news first, before rushing headfirst into whatever the situation was. "What do you mean the 'real one'? Has he attacked anyone yet? How much time do we have?"

Tseng shook his head. "No, nothing like that. He is either catatonic, or suffering from severe Mako poisoning; the scientists are still working on finding out which. His body was encased in Mako, and appeared to have been that way for quite some time. There was a wound, where his body was nearly cut in two. A wound made by the Buster sword."

"What...but we _killed_ him. I know we killed him. His body dissolved!"

"I don't think you did Cloud. I think what we were dealing with were all clones, even the 'real' one you originally encountered in the crater. Or they were instances of Jenova taking Sephiroth's form, as she did the first time in Midgar. There were plenty of sightings we knew were clones, several that you yourself admitted changed into forms of Jenova, and you saw the body in the Northern Crater before the Weapons were released as well. That body was still there, just re-located with the Weapon's emergence. It is entirely likely that, should he wake up, he will be who he was before the Nibelheim incident."

Cloud groaned, already seeing where this was going. "You want him to join Shinra again. Do you really think, knowing what he does now, that he will? IF he's even sane and doesn't attempt to destroy the world again?"

Tseng smirked. "Of course not. Rufus thinks he can be convinced, but I'm not that optimistic. But as you said, I know what he's gone through, and if anyone deserves a second chance, it's him. Rufus' scientists can give that to him, and the second part...is where we need your help."

"MY help? What, you want me around to kill him if he is insane?" A part of him chose to wonder that the Turk was being so forthright about this, but then again, Tseng _had_ been skewered by Masamune before. He clearly understood the need for caution, even if Rufus didn't. One would think nearly being blown up would have taught the man to have some caution.

"While that _would_ be a good precaution to take, we were hoping for something along the lines of restraints. What I'd like is for you to help us find something than can hold someone that is enhanced as much as you or Sephiroth are. Given that you don't trust Shinra, we would of course do this in a way you're comfortable with, and with your friends present. We would only need to bind one limb; once we have something that can hold you we would simply need to duplicate it. Actually, only being held by one limb would be best – if you're unable to get out of it, then we can be fairly confident that Sephiroth will not be able to get out of them if we have his legs and arms all bound. We have some time; while he is still in the Mako cocoon, he will not wake up. The scientists and doctors are unwilling to try until they can determine if anything is still wrong with him physically; no point in bringing him back to consciousness just to have him in pain and dying."

Cloud thought about it, but already knew what his answer would be. He couldn't hate the other man; not knowing - both from the journals and from his own experiences – what he had gone through. It didn't make him less nervous about the situation though. It was impossible to know what to expect, and he had mixed feelings about the fact that Sephiroth was, essentially, Rune's father. Though apparently it had technically been a clone – he'd have to speak with Reeve about that. Just one more thing to worry about as Rune grew up. Still, he would help them; Rufus was ambitious enough to try to wake the General whether he was bound or not. Although he would do what Tseng said and make sure that he had enough backup there. Just in case. And then make sure, once they were no longer needed for Sephiroth, that _he _was in charge of getting rid of restraints that, while meant for the former General, could also hold _him. _Because regardless of the company's 'new leaf' Rufus was a Shinra and Tseng was a Turk.

* * *

_You are a monster..._

_Mother...let's go to the Promised Land..._

_Jenova was confirmed to be an Ancient..._

_I am the chosen one..._

_Traitor!_

Battle-honed instincts fought to bring him fully awake, but Sephiroth found himself struggling to get his body to cooperate. There were people around him; that much he could tell, but no voices sounded familiar. The smells, however, indicated he was either in a lab or an infirmary. That meant they were more of Hojo's ever-changing army of flunkies and goons then. He struggled to figure out what his last memory was. There was the mission – he was supposed to be going with Zack to Junon to check a reactor, but then...that was right, the mission got changed at the last minute and he got sent to some little town in the mountains. They had lost one of the troopers on the way, arrived at the town, gone to the reactor...

Genesis.

The redheaded First had shown up, blathering on about Loveless and being a monster. But...hadn't he been right? There had been those creatures in the tanks. Creatures that had, apparently, once been human – failed SOLDIERs. And the large tank in the room beyond that with the name 'Jenova' over the door. The name of his mother – he had wanted to look inside, but stopped himself. At least he thought he had. But he could not remember what happened after the reactor. Why couldn't he remember? He had a nearly photographic memory. It had to have been a head injury – a severe one if his body was reacting so slowly. It was probably something else he could blame on Genesis. He just hoped his memories returned quickly – it was not good to be in Hojo's sight with any sort of weakness showing. The Professor seemed to take that as a personal insult.

"I was told he was awake?"

Finally, a voice Sephiroth remembered, if only vaguely. Shinra's spoiled heir. He forced his eyes open; young the boy may be, but he was still a Shinra, and it was best to not show weakness in front of them, either.

Grimacing at the unwelcome but not unexpected sight of a lab, he sought out Rufus. Barely containing his surprise at seeing the boy looking a good deal older than what he remembered, and also in a wheelchair, he decided it was time to see if his voice still worked.

"Rufus."

A pleased smile lit on the man's face. "Ah, Sephiroth. I assume you have questions?"

He raised an eyebrow, but decided to play along for the time being. "Many, but I somehow doubt you will answer them all."

"You would be surprised. What would you like to know first?"

What _would_ he like to know first? "Where am I? And what happened with the mission?"

"The first is an easy question to answer – you are at Healin Lodge. Or more specifically, you are under Healin Lodge. The second – well, I suppose I should ask you first, what do you recall of your most recent mission?"

Sephiroth frowned, wondering where the trap in that was. Still, he needed all the information he could get, and he wasn't about to trust his own memories quite yet. Besides, regardless of what Genesis had said to him, he wouldn't let Shinra know he was still alive. "Nothing, except that it was to check on a reactor with Fair."

"The mission...well, to say it went badly would be a gross understatement. From the notes that Zack wrote that we were able to salvage, and what the Turks gathered afterwards, Genesis showed up in the reactor, and afterwards, the entire town was burned to the ground. You were nearly killed, and First Class SOLDIER Fair and an infantryman named Cloud Strife were taken by Hojo as...specimens."

While Sephiroth was somewhat glad to know that his memory of seeing Genesis was not false, the rest of the story bothered him. It left far too much out. "How did the town burn? What nearly killed me, and where is Fair?" His mind was not eased when the Vice-President actually looked _nervous._

"Sir...would you like me to explain?"

Sephiroth was pleasantly surprised to see Tseng coming through the door of the lab. "Yes, Tseng, thank you."

The Turk nodded, and took a seat next to the blond. Sephiroth noted his hands never strayed far from a weapon. Yet another oddity.

"Do you remember anything of what you read of Hojo's and Gast's research?" Sephiroth shook his head negatively; there was something niggling at the back of his mind, but he couldn't quite catch it. Tseng nodded, and the General was surprised to note a flicker of sadness in his eyes. "You are, of course, aware of some of the less...humane aspects of what Shinra is capable of?" The question was obviously rhetorical, and the Turk continued without pause. "There were research notes – an entire room full – about a creature that both Gast and Hojo erroneously thought was an Ancient. Gast found out differently and left the project; however Hojo and then Hollander took up the research. I have all of the information compiled for you to read later on, but the end of the story is that you, as well as Genesis and Angeal, were born as part of experiments to create humans with the power of the Ancients."

Project G – that he remembered. Genesis had been degrading – badly – and Angeal had considered himself a monster. The pain of their betrayal was still fresh. Project S. Memories – or at least Sephiroth thought they were memories – flickered through his head. Zack confronting him in the basement of the Shinra mansion; the town of Nibelheim in flames; himself in the reactor speaking to some inhuman dead _thing_ as if it was his mother. He gasped, and when he went to move, realized belatedly that they had strapped him down securely. No wonder; they probably expected him to jump up and murder them as well.

Both men watching him breathed a nearly inaudible sigh of relief as his bonds held. "I destroyed Nibelheim. The infantryman was the one to nearly kill me." _As impossible as that sounded_. "I want to see Fair." Zack had been the only one left he could call a friend, aside from Tseng, and even they had to remain rather cool to each other due to their positions within Shinra. Tseng was, unfortunately, a Turk first and a friend second. His heart clenched at the look of hurt and betrayal he could remember seeing on the younger man's face. Before anything else, he had to apologize. He remembered attacking the other First Class but there was no way the wounds he had sustained had killed him. Mako would have seen to that.

Tseng cleared his throat and continued. "Yes, as I'm assuming you've remembered, you were the one to torch the town. You were presumed dead, as you had fallen into the Mako under the reactor. The other two were...reluctantly...given to Hojo. It has been seven years since the mission to Nibelheim."

Sephiroth gazed steadily at the Turk, after his eyes flickered to Rufus briefly. In his position, Tseng had often been forced to withhold information, but it _was_ possible to read between the lines if you knew him. Unfortunately, Sephiroth did, and he knew from Tseng's omissions that Zack Fair was dead, and they apparently didn't want to tell him how. That had to mean it was either because of him, or because of Shinra. The quick flicker of his eyes to Rufus meant that it had been Shinra. He filed that information away to deal with later; now was not time to be grieving. He couldn't let himself show any sort of emotion until he knew where things stood.

"Seven years?"

This time Rufus took up the discussion, emboldened, apparently, by the fact that Sephiroth hadn't made any overt attempts to dismember them. Yet.

"Seven years. The world has changed quite a bit since then. You – or what we had assumed was you at the time – came back, killed my father and unleashed a powerful magic called Meteor which destroyed Midgar and nearly the entire planet. We have since revised our opinion that what came back were clones that Hojo had created, presumably controlled either by Hojo or the entity we knew as Jenova. As there was a recent sighting of a clone, we have to assume that somehow that creature is able to control them, as Hojo has been dead for the past two years. It has been two years since Midgar was destroyed, and I am working to rebuild Shinra. What we would like is if you will return to Shinra as its General."

"No."

The answer didn't take much to come by. He had been manipulated by Shinra enough – Sr. or Jr., he wasn't having it anymore. Sephiroth was fairly certain that he could break the restraints if he really needed to.

Rufus nodded, obviously expecting that answer. "I understand your hesitation, but the company is not as you remember it. There will be none of the experimentation my father allowed, and we are working with some of the remaining members of Avalanche and the WRO to find alternative energy sources instead of Mako. We would not be resurrecting SOLDIER either; the fighting force would instead be aiding Reeve in his goals of protecting Edge from monsters. Some of the creatures created in the aftermath of Meteorfall are too strong for a typical person to handle."

"My answer remains the same. I am not going to fight for Shinra anymore, whatever you want to call it."

"You won't be fighting for Shinra, so much as helping correct our mistakes of the past. Both the Mako reactors and Meteor released a lot of dangerous creatures. Your job would be to head the military team that would be in charge of dealing with any monster sightings or attacks. The WRO is the World Regenesis Organization, headed by Reeve Tuesti. You probably remember him?"

Sephiroth nodded; he could remember the man who was far too concerned about the 'common' man to have been liked as a Shinra executive. The former General remembered thinking on more than one occasion that the man had to be both insane and a genius to make it so far up the executive ladder with his morals still intact. "Fine then. I shall work for the WRO. Tell me where I can find Mr Tuesti."

Rufus frowned, and Tseng was hiding a grin.

* * *

Reeve kept glancing nervously at the door. He had been warned by an extremely annoyed Rufus that Sephiroth would be showing up to ask for – of all things – a job with the WRO. The executive had been warned by Cloud – as had everyone – about the General's return, though he had sincerely hoped that there would have been better precautions in place. He couldn't help but find it rather amusing however, that the bonds Cloud had helped Shinra create held – it had been the bolts, made from regular metal, that had given in. Someone would be losing at least their job with that oversight.

Rufus had, at least, been fairly certain the former SOLDIER didn't mean any harm – other than a few bruises to Turks and guards that got in his way, he hadn't actually hurt anyone. Still, Reeve had called Cloud, who was already on his way. Unfortunately, the blond had been lurking around Healin so he was still a distance away. Sephiroth, had, apparently, confiscated a helicopter, so he would be here a good deal faster than the blond, even with Cid on his way with the _Shera_.

He had already given the guards at his newly constructed headquarters orders to stand down. There was no point; there wasn't anyone who could stand up to the ex-General, and Reeve really, really didn't want to piss him off.

Still, even with the warning, he couldn't help twitching when his PA stammered that Sephiroth was there. Reeve was a bit surprised the other man didn't just barge in, but he definitely took that as a good sign.

"Thank you Janine, you can send him in." Reeve was very proud of the fact that his voice didn't shake at all. He stood up as the door opened a few seconds later, and the former General strode into the office. Even with as professional as Janine _normally_ was, he still had to discretely clear his throat to stop her ogling and get her to close the door. Not that Reeve could really blame her in this case. Sephiroth still had his signature coat and pants, though the belt and straps were missing. Also missing, much to Reeve's relief, was the Masamune, not that he thought for a second that if Sephiroth wanted him dead that would be a hindrance.

"Please, have a seat." Reeve waved to the seats in front of his desk, wondering just how long he could keep his nervousness from showing. "What can I do for you?"

Sephiroth smirked slightly, but thankfully it was the same amused look that Reeve could remember from their days at Shinra. "As you don't seem overly surprised to see me, I can assume that Rufus has already alerted you to that. I wish to join the WRO."

Reeve nodded. "I won't deny that you would be a great asset to our forces; there are many Mako enhanced monsters that my men simply can't handle. But I'm also sure you can understand my hesitance."

"I can understand your worry. I remember my actions at Nibelheim, and I've been told of some of the things these clones have done. You only have my word that it was not actually me, and I have no wish to continue on with that creature's schemes. But, Reeve, let's be honest here – if I wanted to go on another rampage, I simply would. I have no need for subterfuge. However, whether it was actually me or not it still doesn't change the fact that I am the cause. I will gladly help dispose of monsters that your regular forces can't handle. However, what I'd prefer to do is help rebuild Midgar."

It had been over seven years since the last time Reeve had seen the real Sephiroth, if Shinra was to be believed, but he still remembered the younger man fairly well. There didn't seem to be any deceit in his eyes, and after a minute, the executive slowly nodded. "Very well. I'll set you up in the system as an official WRO employee. However, you should know that we're not actually rebuilding Midgar, but we've started a new city on the outskirts, Edge."

Sephiroth shrugged. "That is fine. I will head there shortly; as soon as I return the helicopter I...borrowed...and convince Shinra to release any and all back pay due to me."

Reeve tried to hide his smile. "That is fine. I'll head to Edge and show you around once I'm done here."

Inclining his head, Sephiroth stood. "It's appreciated. I imagine that I am not exactly going to be a welcome face."

"Actually, except for a handful of people outside of Shinra, no one knows the truth of what happened. There didn't seem to be a point. But there _are_ people I need to inform of your...return. I'll do that as well."

The smirk returned as the two men headed for the door. "I do not think I envy you that task. Good luck." Sephiroth continued on out of the office, and Reeve couldn't help shaking his head bemusedly. Or perhaps it was just as close as he was willing to get to hysterical laughter. The meeting, after all, could have gone much worse. Although he was very sure that he would be hard-pressed to convince certain people - a dark haired martial artist sprung to mind – that Sephiroth was there to help. At least the only people liable to actually attack the former General were able to defend themselves. It was certainly going to be interesting in Edge for a while.

The smile dropped off his face as he realized just what Sephiroth's return meant for Cloud – and more importantly, Rune.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N - I am SO sorry. RL just got absolutely mad, and before I knew it, I had turned around and nearly a year had passed. Long story short, I was doing more or less four people's jobs (not an exagerration, they have hired three people for my team.) It also didn't help that my laptop had broken (a simple fix, just one I didn't have the time to do) and all my writing was stuck on it for months. Hopefully, with that help I'll now not be doing 12-14 hour days, and actually have time to write. **

**This is unbeta'd - I don't know if my beta is still even around it's been so long, and I didn't want to make anyone wait any longer. So any errors are mine. Feel free to PM me if you can deal with sporadic updates and want to beta. Also, I would like to extend a HUGE thank you to everyone who has alerted/fav'd reviewed even without any indication this story would continue.  
**

* * *

Chapter 9

Reeve was waiting outside of the WRO headquarters when Fenrir pulled up. Cloud launched himself off the bike before it had even come to a complete stop, eyes darting around trying to figure out where Sephiroth was, sword at the ready.

The executive chuckled, hands going up in a placating motion. He was glad he had decided to meet the blond outside – all he needed was a panicked world saviour rampaging through the hallways after 'sightings' of the 'long dead' Silver General. Every woman, and quite a few men, would just be sitting outside their offices waiting to see who would go by next. Or there would be mass hysteria. Either way, there certainly wouldn't be any work getting done.

"Calm down Cloud; he's not here. Sephiroth has gone back to Healin to return the helicopter he borrowed and bully Rufus into giving him his back pay. Though I imagine Rufus will wish you were there to protect him from _that._"

The First Tsuragi dropped to a slightly more neutral position. "Back...pay?" That certainly didn't sound like something someone bent on world destruction would be interested in. And now that he had calmed down slightly, seeing as the building wasn't in ruins and Reeve looked to be unharmed, he had to concede that he couldn't _feel_ the other man around. Not that it meant anything – he could have simply told Reeve that and instead been going off to destroy some poor defenceless town. It didn't really make sense to lie to someone who had no power to stop him...but no one had ever commended the ex-General on his sanity. Before _or_ after Nibelheim.

"Yes, Cloud, it tends to help having money to start your life over. He wants a job – helping around Edge. I've set him up doing some of the heavier construction work as well as being on-call for any serious monster issues the regular troops can't handle. He refused to rejoin Shinra, and, from what I could tell, regrets his actions, and what his actions caused."

Cloud continued to stare at Reeve, his mind still not quite slowed down from the panic he had been feeling all the way from Healin. He had been convinced he was going to get to the WRO just to find bodies strewn all over, and he had been tearing himself up over whether he should even go to the headquarters or directly to Edge. To find out he had come to ask about a _job_ didn't quite register.

"So...you really think he's...safe?" He had lowered his sword completely by now, but kept it in hand; still half expecting the other swordsman to jump out and attack. Perhaps a bit paranoid, but given the clones' ability to get anywhere so quickly (some ability of Jenova's, no doubt) he wouldn't dismiss the idea completely.

Reeve shrugged. "He seemed to be the same as he was before the events at Nibelheim. I would never call him _safe_, but I doubt we have to worry about any more murderous rampages."

"What has he been told?"

"I believe only the basics. He wasn't at Healin long enough to have been told everything, and honestly, I don't believe he fully trusts Rufus. Not that I can blame him on that."

Cloud snorted; that at least was a good call on the former General's part. But still, the full story needed to be told, and the lies and half-truths he had learned in Nibelheim set straight. Unfortunately, there were few people still around that Cloud felt Sephiroth would be willing to trust. Reeve was, ironically, probably one of those few. "I suppose it will be up to me to tell him, then?"

"Well, out of everyone, you're probably the best suited, don't you think?" The executive gave a half-shrug. "Either way, I told him that I would meet him at Edge. I don't suppose I could get a ride with you? I'm sure you want to be there as well. Cait Sith is already on his way; just to keep an eye on things until we arrive."

With a weary sigh, the blond slung his leg back over his bike, gesturing for the executive to join him. Reeve was right; there was no way he'd let Sephiroth around Rune or his adopted family without him there. Just because he _seemed_ to be reformed didn't mean he actually _was. _Sure, it wasn't Sephiroth's normal style, but perhaps being soundly defeated twice had taught him caution. Cloud would just have to see for himself. Once the older man was seated securely behind him, he headed back towards Edge, as quickly as he could go without giving Reeve a heart attack.

* * *

Staring out over the ruins of Midgar, Sephiroth felt a niggling, incredibly unwelcome sensation. From long ago discussions with Angeal, he knew it had to be guilt or possibly shame. While it was true that he wasn't actually the one to summon Meteor, it _had _been because of his actions, or lack thereof. The events at Nibelheim were slowly getting clearer, although he had a feeling that full clarity might not ever fully return. He wasn't sure whether he liked that idea or not. His memories were crystal clear – as they all were – up to the point when he entered the Shinra Mansion's library, and he could remember the harsh words he said to Genesis, and the taunting he had received in return. What would have happened, had he simply offered to help the other man? But because he had felt betrayed by Genesis' actions, and Angeal's, he had reacted childishly (he could admit that to himself, even if to no one else) and denied his assistance.

Or perhaps there hadn't been anything he could have done – perhaps they had all been doomed the second they had set foot in Nibelheim. Had he helped Genesis or not, the redhead's words would have spurred him to enter that godsforsaken building, and discover the truth about his origins. But either way, seeing the twisted, half melted spike of metal that used to be the Shinra tower, he couldn't help but wish it had ended differently. He was supposed to be the hero; not the villain.

Squaring his shoulders, and reminding himself that, hero or villain, he had never been a coward, he headed down towards what Reeve had told him was, rather unimaginatively, called Edge.

Wandering through the streets, Sephiroth couldn't help but notice the places where it looked like this new 'city' had been attacked. Some newly built 'buildings' – hovels and lean-to's as he had often seen under the Plate – were already demolished, and there was debris that looked like it had come from the ruins of Midgar littering the streets. He wondered if there had been another attack; perhaps a group outside of Edge scavenging for what the survivors had managed to scrap together. Or perhaps the people in those buildings hadn't made it, and the houses had fallen into disrepair – though that seemed less likely as it would make more sense to just have a new family or group move in. The uncomfortable through that there might not have been more families _to _move in crossed his mind, but he pushed it away irritably. He definitely did not like this whole 'guilt' thing.

Still, whatever had happened, he was glad he had chosen to join the WRO and help rebuild – there was so much here that they would need someone enhanced to assist with. From what both Rufus and Reeve had left unsaid, he didn't think there was much of SOLDIER left. While he would mourn his lost colleagues, he couldn't help but be glad the programme had been ended; too much harm had come from it. Zack had been right when he said it was a den of monsters.

There weren't many people on the streets, but the few there were giving him strange looks, and he knew it would only be a matter of time before the rumours started to spread. He headed back out to the road to wait for Reeve to arrive, letting the whispers of 'SOLDIER' and 'Shinra' fade until even his hearing couldn't pick them up. He knew, from what Reeve had said, that his, or at least his clone's, part in Meteor was not known by the general public, and he could only assume from Rufus' rather low key activities that Shinra had been the one blamed. While he certainly wasn't afraid of a mob attacking him, unarmed or not, it would not make a very good first impression if they did attack and he was forced to protect himself.

It made him wonder what would be said about his re-emergence after so many years. He had paid little attention to his reputation when he was at Shinra. There were plenty of people who felt Shinra's attack on Wutai was unjust, and perhaps it had been, but it had still been a war. If Wutai had held the greater strength, they wouldn't have hesitated to use it, and Sephiroth therefore didn't see anything wrong about his actions there. People who didn't have their lives on the line had a much easier time speaking of ideals. He fought, he was good at it, and if people were scared of him, well, that was their problem. Sephiroth had his few friends within the company, and that had been good enough. Now though, all he had was his casual companionship with Tseng, which would always be tempered by his allegiance to Shinra. Angeal was dead, from what he gathered Genesis was dead as well, as was Zack, tentative though their friendship may have been.

Ironically, the one person who may have understood the most, having been through much of what he had been through, and lost just as much, had the most reason to hate him. He wanted to speak to the infantryman; assuming the man didn't attack him on sight, he might at least be able to find out what happened to Zack. Then he'd see if there were _any_ of his SOLDIERs left; General or not, he still felt a responsibility to his men. Who knows; maybe he could recruit them for the WRO. Sephiroth resisted the urge to shake his head in irritation; he knew it was pointless to dwell on these things, but he had never felt so out of his depth, and he hated it. Resigning himself to deal with whatever was coming, he scanned the horizon for Reeve's arrival.

* * *

Reeve clung to Cloud's back and the swordsman raced through the barrens before Edge. He was deeply regretting not finding another ride. Cloud tended to drive recklessly at the best of times, and regardless of Reeve's assurances, he was still convinced that Sephiroth would attack Edge. Not that Reeve could completely dismiss the idea either; he was quite sure, but not sure enough to risk people's lives on. Which was why he had sent Cait Sith on to Edge the second Sephiroth had left the WRO. The cat would let its creator know if Sephiroth started acting violent – or crazy. Not that he'd told Cloud; the swordsman was on edge enough without adding to it.

Still, it was with a sigh of relief that they got close enough to Edge to see the irregular skyline. Reeve felt Cloud relax minutely, and assumed that the other man couldn't hear or see anything with his enhanced senses. Reeve relaxed slightly when their speed dropped from suicidal to daredevil. Still, it wasn't much longer before they could see the glint off silver, and the businessman knew it had to be Sephiroth. It made Reeve wonder why the man was standing outside the city waiting for them; unless he had already been there and found either overwhelming hostility or hero worship. The General had been considered a war hero, but he had also been the main poster boy for Shinra, and the defunct company was anything but popular amongst the survivors. As Rufus had made himself scarce, Sephiroth may have found himself taking the blame for Shinra's actions, even if they didn't know how integral Sephiroth had actually been in the destruction of the city.

Or he could, possibly, have already killed everyone. But Reeve doubted that; even in Wutai, before his insanity, Sephiroth wasn't exactly known for his subtlety when it came to killing large amounts of people.

Cloud came to a stop well before they reached Sephiroth, but didn't get off the bike.

"It's strange. I can feel him, but it's...different."

Reeve started when Cloud spoke, slowly peeling himself away from where he had been clinging to the swordsman. "What do you mean?"

"Before, when we were following him, and when he had taken over Kadaj, it felt like a pull...like it was drawing me in." Reeve felt the younger man give a slight shudder, and remembered when Cloud had been drawn to give up the Black Materia. "Now though, it's just an awareness that he's there. I don't feel compelled to go to him; other than to make sure he's not a danger anyway."

"Well, I suppose that's good." Reeve swung his leg over the massive bike, and was glad that he didn't topple to the ground. Cloud dismounted much more fluidly, and glanced back at the executive.

"Ready?"

Reeve nodded; feeling much less nervous than the last meeting.

"Sephiroth. I hope we didn't keep you waiting too long."

The warrior shook his head, eyes glancing back at the fledgling city. "No, not at all. I was taking a look around."

Reeve nodded. "Then you see why your help will be invaluable. While most of the construction can be done by regular citizens, there are some places that are too dangerous for unenhanced people to go near. Not to mention that having someone with enhanced strength will make everything go much faster."

"As well as prevent rogue monsters from attacking while we are rebuilding, no doubt."

The executive couldn't help a small smile. "Yes, that would definitely be considered an asset. I understand your reluctance to become part of a fighting force, but having you with the building crews means we could free up our soldiers to go out on patrols rather than standing guard on the off chance a monster does get through to the city."

Sephiroth nodded. "I can agree with that. I have no reluctance to taking out monsters, or even going out if there happens to be something your unenhanced troops can't handle. I simply do not wish to join another military force, in any capacity."

"That's fine. We have everyone set up on a rotating schedule; I'll work that out for you tonight, and get you started the day after tomorrow. Unless that's too soon; I'm sure you have a lot of things to get set up."

"That should be fine. Anything I had would have been in the tower, so it's just a matter of finding someplace to stay. How does that work in this...Edge?" Reeve could hear the reluctance to ask that question, and knew the younger man must have been embarrassed to have to ask what should be a simple question, but Reeve knew he had always lived in the Shinra Tower, and like everyone who chose that option, living expenses would have been taken directly out of his pay, so all he would have ever had to worry about were any personal purchases. There had even been delivery services set up for groceries, which he knew most SOLDIERs opted for unless they had a family, as their missions often took them away from Midgar for long stretches of time. This would be his first time actually purchasing his own place, and it was clear he was already out of his depth, though the other man would never let such a weakness show.

"There are two options; one is that you can pay for an already built apartment. They're rather small, but it should be enough for one person. The other option is to buy a space and either build or hire someone to build a house on that space. There are two different building crews; the WRO funded one, who builds houses for the people who lost everything, and they 'pay' for their new home by working for the WRO, and the private building crews, who are paid in the traditional manner. It was a hard call to make, but we need to stimulate the economy or else we won't be able to move forward from this. In fact..."

The brunet was cut off by a not so subtle cough from Cloud. He grinned sheepishly, realizing that neither man really cared about his long term economic plans. "Right. So what would you like to do?"

"I suppose I'll go with one of the apartments for now, until I can have something built. Is there a place I can stay tonight? Unfortunately Shinra has not given me any funds yet."

Reeve frowned, and glanced back at Cloud. There _were_ places like that, but he did not think it would be a good idea for Sephiroth to go to one. He wasn't sure of how the people already there would react to the emergence of the Shinra General after so many years, and he also wasn't sure Sephiroth would deign to stay in one of the, admittedly poor, establishments they had set up. Thankfully, the blond seemed to catch on to his unspoken question, and with a roll of his eyes and a look that said they _would_ be having words about it later, he nodded.

"Cloud stays at a place called Seventh Heaven; it is a bar, but they do have a few rooms upstairs. I'm sure he can put you up for a few nights."

Sephiroth looked at the blond, doubt clear in the gaze, but he clearly realized that it was the best offer he was going to get at such short notice. His only other viable choice was to go back to Shinra, and Reeve was sure that wouldn't happen. He wouldn't trust Rufus, and he had no doubt Sephiroth wouldn't either.

With a barely suppressed sigh, Cloud gestured back towards the city. "I suppose if that's it, we should head there now and get you settled." Reeve could tell by Cloud's voice that he was far from happy, but he pasted a polite smile on anyway.

"I think that's it. Any details we can iron out as we go. Lead the way Cloud."

* * *

Sephiroth kept glancing discretely at the blond warrior that had apparently beaten him once, and Jenova posing as his clones on several occasions, as they walked towards what Reeve had called 'Seventh Heaven'. He certainly didn't look like much; more confidence than he remembered Zack's infantryman friend having, but no more height and very little extra muscle. However, given that that bastard Hojo had had his claws in the boy for four years it wasn't surprising that he had the strength of a First Class, or more accurately, himself.

There was also the fact that the only time he had met Strife before had been on that trip to Nibelheim, and the circumstances hadn't been great. There had first been the truck ride, with the resulting motion sickness, and then the boy's obvious desire to not be noticed in his hometown. From what he could remember Zack saying, Strife hadn't wanted anyone to recognize him because he had not managed to make SOLDIER yet. There had apparently been some girl he had wanted to impress. A fairly lousy reason to want to have your body twisted and tainted by Mako, but most recruits who joined Shinra in hopes of becoming SOLDIER hadn't known of the truth of it, and he was frankly relieved to find someone who _hadn't _joined solely because they wanted to meet or be just like the 'great General Sephiroth' – though if that _had_ entered into the blond's mind, it wasn't likely something he would admit to anymore.

He also couldn't help but notice that the other man's posture never relaxed. The ex-General was used to fear, even to active dislike, but it still bothered him that he had actually done things to merit the reaction. The dislike he had experienced in the past either had to do with anything Shinra, which he could ignore as it wasn't aimed at _him, _but rather what he stood for, or from Wutains, and that had been because of the war. This was personal, and he wasn't sure how to handle it. Genesis and he had been rivals, but at the root of it, it had been a friendly rivalry. Sure, Angeal had to step in more often than not to prevent bloodshed, but neither of them had ever come close to striking a serious blow. Now he was face to face, and expected to interact with, someone that he caused irreparable damage to.

Reeve had run off after a phone call that demanded his presence back at the office, leaving the two warriors to sort out Sephiroth's temporary living arrangements. Sephiroth couldn't help but think it was partly to help him until he received his money from Shinra, but partly (or even mostly) to keep an eye on him. Trying to appear non-threatening – a difficult feat given the fact that the only clothing he currently owned was his Shinra issued uniform – he decided to break the tense silence.

"I am only here to apologize, and provide my assistance in rebuilding. I will also only infringe on your hospitality until Rufus sees fit to release my assets."

The blond frowned, but nodded slightly. "I will stop you again if I need to."

An elegant silver eyebrow rose. "And you think you can? You've never _truly_ faced me before, you realize."

"I'll do what I have to." Sephiroth was impressed by the strength of conviction in those few words, and had to grudgingly admit the man would have made a good SOLDIER. It was also obvious why Fair had befriended him. Zack would have loved his determination, and done anything he could to help the blond succeed. Angeal probably would have taken him under his wing as well, had he still been alive.

Both men paused, and turned towards the door as they heard several people approaching. Cloud cursed, and Sephiroth listened closer. The lack of trust only bothered him once he realized that from the lightness of the footsteps there were children approaching. He had never, knowingly and willingly at least, killed children, and he didn't plan to start.

When the door opened, he was even more shocked that he vaguely remembered the female that entered. If his memory was correct – and it usually was – the woman who stood in front of him had been their tour guide on that fateful trip. She had thankfully grown out of the tacky cowgirl outfit, although the new outfit wasn't much more modest. At least his rampage hadn't killed everyone. Dark eyes narrowed, and she tensed into a battle stance. She pushed the children behind her, but one small form ducked under her legs and ran right past Sephiroth. The tiny child clutched at Strife's pants, staring up at him with the same bright blue eyes as his protector. The boy was obviously Strife's but there were no similarities to the brunette standing in the doorway. The other two didn't look like either of them, but they were also obviously too old. Perhaps they were siblings, or the woman was only watching them. Or, as was far too likely, they were orphans the couple had adopted.

Green eyes narrowed in thought, but he pushed it aside and turned towards the woman. "I am not here to harm children, or anyone else. As I told Strife, I wished to offer my help."

"Help in rebuilding the damage you caused?"

The warrior twitched at the accusation, but he was smart enough to realize that the other wasn't concerned about the technicalities. "Yes."

"Tifa, enough. I believe that it wasn't truly him." Sephiroth hid his amazement that the blond was actually defending him, even if he still hadn't dropped his guard.

"It _was_ him at Nibelheim. Excuse me if I don't want the children around a killer."

"You let them around Reno and Rude."

"That's different."

"How is it different? Because they were just following orders? Or because you like Rude?"

That seemed to have shut the woman up, although Sephiroth was still in a bit of shock that the blond was actually defending him. He would also have to re-evaluate their relationship, and their connection to the children. Clearing his throat, he brought both of their attention back to him. "While I do appreciate your words, Strife, I understand Ms Lockhart's...aversion to my presence around the children. I will still offer my help, but I will make sure that I'm not around them."

Tifa glanced between them, and then nodded, apparently satisfied. "Alright. Cloud?"

"I'll be up in a few minutes Tifa."

She sighed, clearly unhappy with the situation, but nodded again and herded the children upstairs. The littlest clung to Cloud for another minute, before a gentle push had him following along.

"She will get over her hate eventually. She has with Shinra at least."

Sephiroth gave a small smile. "Yes...Rude was it? A good man."

The blond shrugged. "As good as you can get with the Turks."

"The organization may do less than savoury things; however, the one thing that they can't be faulted on is their loyalty. If he cares for your friend, she will never be in safer hands."

Blue eyes narrowed for a minute, but the warrior nodded reluctantly. "I meant what I said to Tifa. I am aware that you were not the one to summon Meteor."

"And the events of Nibelheim?"

Strife sighed, and ran his hands through spiky hair that reminded him far too much of Zack's. "I don't think I can forgive you yet – Tifa might never forgive you. But...I can't honestly say that I wouldn't have reacted similarly in your position. Your anger could have been better directed, but I can't hate you. Zack wouldn't have wanted me to." The last bit was said reluctantly, but Sephiroth seized on the opportunity. He still hadn't gotten a straight answer out of anyone else, and he might not get another chance to speak to the blond privately.

"What happened to him?"

The blond looked confused. "They...didn't tell you?" He snorted and shook his head. "No, of course they wouldn't have. And Tseng promised full disclosure. I don't know what you remember, but after the reactor we were practically dead. Hojo decided to use us as new 'specimens', I suppose since he had lost you. Or he was bored; with Hojo it's hard to say. After four years in there, Zack got us out. I had Mako poisoning; couldn't even eat on my own. I was just a burden to him, but still he dragged me around, he wouldn't...he refused to give up on me. From what I could piece together, we were on the run for about a year, chased by Shinra. We were...right outside Midgar, in the barrens, when the army finally caught up to us. He hid me, and fought. From what I've been told, he took them all out, or almost all, before he finally fell. I...was only just coming out of the fog I had been in. Before the end, I managed to get to him, see him before he died. He gave me the Buster sword, and I continued to Midgar. If I had...I still wasn't completely right in the head. He died, and I just left."

Sephiroth shook his head; appalled at what had happened to his only remaining friend because of his own actions. Knowing he had died, at Shinra's hand no less, was different than knowing how much the man had struggled only to ultimately fail. "I am sorry to hear that. He was a good man. He deserved better."

"Would...you might be able to talk to him." The blond looked almost surprised at his own statement, but resolute.

Sephiroth gave him a strange look, but Strife looked like he was serious. With a mental shrug, he nodded. "Alright."

Strife blinked, clearly not expecting such easy acceptance. "Alright, let's go. It's a decent drive." He glanced up the stairs, then headed to the door. Sephiroth wondered if the blond's offer came from a genuine wish to have him see Zack (if it was really possible) or a desire to put off the confrontation Sephiroth could see would happen with the brunette as soon as they returned. But he certainly had enough on his plate without getting involved in a domestic squabble.

* * *

"This is..."

"Where Zack died, yea."

Sephiroth gazed out where he could just make out the ruins of Midgar. The blond hadn't been exaggerating when he said they had been close. He clenched his fists, anger at himself bubbling up inside to join with the despair. How was he supposed to convince people he deserved a second chance when he himself didn't believe that?

_You're being too hard on yourself, man._

He drew in a sharp breathe, and spun, trying to find the source of the voice. Noticing green, he turned to face the sword stuck into the rock. Zack was leaning on it, looking more or less how he had before Nibelheim – if you could ignore the fact that the horizon was visible through him.

_It wasn't your fault. I mean, yea, sure, you could have reacted better, but talk about a mindfuck, right? The point is, there's plenty of blame all over the place. And my death definitely wasn't your fault. That was all Hojo and Shinra. The point is, the people who need to be dead are, and if some people should still be alive...well. I'm sure Angeal would have some speech about honour and dreams and such. I died to save Cloud, and Aerith died to save, well, everyone, and that's good enough for me. Do me a favour though, alright? Try to be a little happier this time around. _

With a wink, the shade disappeared, and Sephiroth was left staring at the rusting Buster sword. He hadn't even had a chance to say anything, but that was okay – he probably wouldn't have been able to find the right words anyway.

Strife had moved a ways away, to give him some privacy, and when the blond returned, Sephiroth was surprised to see his eyes were wet. But then, given what the two men had gone through together, it wasn't so surprising. His eyes fell to the sword again, and he shook his head. "That can't stay here."

"What?" The comment had apparently started the younger man, and Sephiroth shrugged. It just felt...wrong. It was a fitting memorial to Zack, of course; the man had been a strong fighter. But it was the Buster. Angeal – and Zack, for what the sword meant to his mentor – would have had a fit to see it in the state it was in.

Strife nodded. "I think I know where to put it."

* * *

**A/N – they never mention how/why the Buster sword is moved in AC. This is my artistic license take on how it moved from the barrens to the church.**

**Also, we'll have more of Cloud's thoughts next chapter. (Which will hopefully not take another year...)I tried, but it just didn't fit in anywhere.**


End file.
